Vision problems and the workplace

Vision problems plague many Americans and make it difficult to perform their job duties to the best of their abilities. If you struggle with vision problems, there are a few things you can do. Vision exercises should be done on a daily basis, especially if you work in front of a computer screen everyday. Vision exercises are easy to do, they only require about 5 minutes from your day and they can really help your eye muscles and help you maintain focus.

Every employer should offer a handbook of different exercises their employees can do at the office. Not only is it important to get up and stretch your muscles every 45 minutes to prevent blood clots, you also need to concentrate on reducing stress. Your eyes are one of the main areas that assume a lot of stress and it can cause problems to other areas of your body like your neck.

The first thing you need to consider is the lighting where you work. Your computer screen should not be the brightest light in your office. In fact, you may need to dim your screen a little bit or purchase an anti-glare screen to reduce the light that reaches your eyes.

The office that you work in also needs to be comfortable. Even though you may like listening to Metallica, it is not appropriate during business hours. Your co-workers don't want to listen to the loud drums when they are trying to concentrate on reducing stress. Purchase a relaxing CD to listen to while you at the office and take a few minutes to focus on your breathing. Close your eyes and take in a deep breath for 10 seconds, hold it for a few seconds and exhale for 10 seconds. Repeat the breathing for about 3 minutes. This will bring more oxygen to your eyes and to all the muscles in your body. When your eyes have more oxygen, the stress on them will be significantly reduced.

Don't forget to blink when you are working. It is not uncommon for people to get focused on a project and completely forget about moisturizing their eyes. If you wear contacts, your eyes are particularly prone to drying out so you may need to keep some eye drops in your drawer and moisturize your eyes. Blinking helps to soothe the eyes and it reduces the strain on the eyes.

After you have been at work for a couple hours, take some time to do a palming exercise. This exercise consists of closing your eyes, leaning forward on your desk and gently palming your eyes. You will place your left palm over your left hand and open your eye. The eye should not be able to see any light. Place your right hand over your right eye and open it. Completely focus your mind on a relaxing place. For some people this is a deserted island with white sandy beaches and the sound of the ocean. For other people, their relaxing place is their backyard where they are lying in a hammock. Wherever it may be, envision yourself in this place for about 5 minutes. Whenever you start to feel the stress of work, take some time to do the palming exercise. Keep a picture of your relaxing place in your desk drawer and remind yourself to go there when you start feeling the pressures of the day.

Another eye exercise you can do is called figure eights. This exercise will stretch the eye muscles and increase the blood and oxygen flow to the eyes. Stare at the ground and imagine a large figure 8. Trace the outline of the figure 8 with your eyes clockwise and then trace it counter-clockwise. This is an easy exercise to do and it can give your eyes a much-needed break from the computer screen.