Mindfulness is a cognitive skill showcased by the ability to be fully present in a moment. Various meditation-based techniques can help individuals ground themselves in a moment without becoming overwhelmed or reactive.
In addition to its positive effects on the brain, mindfulness can significantly improve physical health. In particular, mindfulness can improve eye health: assisting with stronger, clearer vision.
Let’s unpack the various benefits of mindfulness for eye health.
What are the Benefits of Mindfulness for Vision?
Mindfulness has a myriad of ocular benefits, including:
- Reducing eye strain. Stress tightens your facial muscles and strains the delicate muscles around your ideas. The relaxing effects of mindfulness can release this tension, eliminating eye strain and promoting more comfortable vision.
- Mindfulness can significantly improve focus. By improving situational awareness, you can identify when your eye muscles are being tested and take appropriate steps to remedy the situation.
- Mindfulness has been shown to promote better-quality sleep. Sleep is rejuvenating for eye functionality, allowing the eyes to rest and repair.
Therefore, mindfulness has a wealth of benefits for eye health. However, mindfulness is an abstract concept, meaning it can be challenging to integrate it into physical eye health.
Adding exercises to train your vision into your daily routine can work hand-in-hand with mindfulness techniques, helping to boost eye muscle strength and sharpen your focus over time. Let’s explore further how to apply key mindfulness concepts to visual health.
Mindfulness Techniques for Improving Vision
Here are a few actionable, practical mindfulness techniques you can try yourself to improve your long-term visual health.
- Palming. Ensure your hands are warm. Cup your hands over your eyes while relaxing your face and body. Now, focus on the sound of your breathing and the darkness created by your hands. By blocking out light — including the artificial light generated by screens — palming allows the eye muscles to relax and rest completely. Additionally, the warmth from your hands can soothe and comfort the eyes, reducing tension.
- Try near-far focus with objects – switch your focus between objects close by (such as your hand) to objects far away.
- Why not give eye yoga a go? Eye yoga is simple and rewarding. Roll the eyes (gently) clockwise and then counterclockwise. Next, try tracing figures of eight with your eyes.
Try each of these exercises a few times until you get comfortable with them. A few seconds of your time can equal long-term net gains for your eye health. If you’re looking for prescription glasses in Melbourne, consider exploring options that not only correct your vision but also support your overall eye health and comfort.
Tips for Practicing Mindfulness Techniques for Improving Vision
Of course, these techniques are best incorporated into a daily routine. Though committing to completing these exercises every day may seem intimidating, here are a few tips for integrating mindfulness techniques for vision organically
- Incorporate your eyes into your whole body (otherwise known as ‘body scan’) meditations, noticing tension or relaxation.
- If possible, spend some time outside. Looking around and registering natural light can help your eyes adjust to different lighting conditions and reduce eye strain.
- Once you consistently take short breaks during reading and screen time (such as glancing up from your computer screen), you’ll quickly establish them as healthy habits.
Maintaining eye health is not difficult per se, but knowing where to start and how to set specific goals can be difficult. Why not work alongside an optometrist who can assist you in your journey to better long-term eye health?
Mindfulness holistically benefits eye health by strengthening the eyes while promoting overall wellbeing. Additionally, mindfulness offers practical strategies for maintaining these benefits long-term. To maintain optimal eye health, it’s important to book an eye test regularly and explore how mindfulness can be integrated into your vision care plan.
Interested in speaking to expert optometrists about what unique benefits mindfulness might have for you?
Get in contact with Microprism Vision.