Daily routines to refresh the eyes
“Bathing the eyes” is a traditional self-care practice intended to freshen the eyes, soothes tiredness and helps you relax. Although these do not improve the eyes I find they do make them feel better when tired or strained.
- Drink water first thing in the morning , after a night’s sleep, you may be a little dehydrated, particularly if you haven’t had fluids for several hours, drinking water helps support normal body functions including the production of tears.
- Splash water onto your face, I find this makes my face feel refreshed. I don’t do this too often. Your eyes already have a natural cleaning system, your tears help lubricate the surface and wash away small particles. I keep my eyes closed when doing this as tap water isn’t sterile. After doing this I then gently dry my face with a clean towel.
- First thing in the morning and last thing at night bathe the eyes in cold water, this is to wake up the eyes. The cool temperature soothes the skin around the eyes and temporarily relieves puffiness around the eyes.
- To relax the eyes dip a hand towel in cold water and place it over the eyes, then dip another hand towel in warm water and place over the eyes. You can repeat this a few times to relax the eyes fully. The cool compress feels nice when your eyes are tired or irritated. The warm compress softens the oils in the tiny glands along the eyelids. This can be useful for certain causes of dry eye and eyelid inflammation, such as blepharitis. Make sure you use warm water rather than hot water.
- Blinking, close your eyes tight then release, do this a number of times until the tear fluid makes your eyes moist and relaxed, this is a strain relieving exercise. I find it useful when using screens, as we often blink less frequently when concentrating.
Feeling more relaxed after an exercise is a genuine benefit, but it doesn’t necessarily mean your vision has improved.
