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Modern life means one thing above all for our eyes: constant stress! Hours of screen time, artificial lighting and a lack of daylight can lead to tired, dry and strained eyes. But it’s not just screen time alone that plays a role – the quality and composition of the ambient light also affects our eye health.
Modern displays, LED lamps and many other artificial light sources emit a high proportion of blue light. While natural blue light increases our energy levels during the day, an unnatural excess can cause severe eye strain. But there are various ways to counteract this:
Wear blue light protection glasses: Our glasses filter out the critical blue light and thus relieve the eyes – which is particularly important for people working long hours in front of a screen.
Get plenty of daylight: Natural sunlight contains a balanced spectrum that is healthy for the eyes. The high proportion of near-infrared light, which is often lacking in artificial lighting, is crucial.
Opt for the right room lighting: Where possible, the spectrum of LED lighting can be supplemented with halogen lamps, as they provide a more natural light with benficial near-infrared components.
Take regular screen breaks: Ideally, step outside (or open a window) more often. Natural daylight helps to relax the eyes and regenerates the visual system.
Let’s take a look at how these breaks can optimally benefit your eye health:
There are plenty of guides with tips and exercises for eye health. We have selected a number of simple exercises for our readers that can be easily added to your daily routine. These short exercises are ideal for making the most of regular, short screen breaks:
Palming: Gently rub your palms together until they are warm and then place them on your closed eyes. This warmth helps to relax the eye muscles and promotes blood circulation. This exercise can stand alone, but is also a good start and end to any “training session” for the eyes.
Make a conscious effort to blink: We usually do not blink enough in everyday life, especially when working at a screen. Blink consciously every few seconds for a minute to moisten your eyes and avoid dryness.
Focusing near and far: Hold a finger about 20-30 cm in front of your face and focus on it for a few seconds. Then change the focus to an object further away, and then into the distance. Indoors, the “far sight” naturally works best through the window. This exercise exercises the eye muscles that are responsible for focus. These muscles should be in constant motion, but they have far too little to do when working with the screen (because the distance is always the same).
Gently keep your eyes moving: Slowly move your eyes in different directions—up, down, left, and right. Then, make smooth circular movements or trace a horizontal figure eight with your eyes. These exercises loosen the muscles and improve eye mobility.
Look at the sun with closed eyes: Sit in the sun for a few minutes with your eyes closed. The long-wave red and near-infrared light penetrates the eyelids and can help with regeneration. Slowly move your eyes in different directions to allow the light to reach every corner of your eyes.
Gently massage the areas around your eyes: Use your fingertips to gently massage your eyebrows, temples and the area under your eyes. This stimulates blood circulation and relaxes the muscles around the eyes.
Field of vision training: Sit down in a relaxed position and focus on a point ahead of you. As you continue to look at this point, try to consciously perceive objects in the outer field of vision without focusing your eyes directly on them. This exercise strengthens your vision “out of the corner of your eye” and relieves the central retina.
In addition to exercise, diet can also make an important contribution to eye health. Certain nutrients support vision and may help to prevent degenerative eye problems:
Vitamin A (e.g. in carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach) is important for the retina as well as for night vision.
Vitamin C ( found in oranges, peppers and berries, for example) protects against oxidative stress.
Omega-3 fatty acids (from linseed, chia seeds and walnuts, for example) support the production of tears and help with dry eyes.
Lutein and zeaxanthin (e.g. in kale, broccoli, corn) are antioxidants that can protect the retina from damage caused by blue light.
Also remember to drink enough. The sensitive tissue of the eyes is particularly important to keep hydrated.
If you would like to delve deeper into the subject, you will find numerous other instructions and valuable tips for promoting eye health in the book “Augen Yoga” (Eye Yoga) by Martina Hiltl. This book presents specific exercises to relax and strengthen the eyes, which can be easily integrated into everyday life. The book (in German) is now available in our store!
In her book Eye Yoga, Martina Hiltl literally opens our eyes to a holistic and effective method for strengthening our eyesight and preventing visual complaints.
Our eyes are exposed to a lot of stress every day – but we can support them with simple measures such as regular exercise, a healthy diet, sufficient daylight and protection from blue light. The tips presented here can be implemented without much effort and help to keep your eyes healthy in the long term.
Note: These recommendations are for relaxation purposes and should not be taken as medical advice. An ophthalmologist should always be consulted in the event of persistent or serious eye problems.
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