Reducing computer fatigue and improving eyesight naturally

I have learnt to take breaks from the computer screen as often as I remember to because prolonged computer usage can cause eye fatigue and mental fatigue. The other day, I was reading this article that reminds people to minimise sitting for a prolonged period of time and take time to move around.

(NaturalNews) "In today's workplace, the majority of people sit for eight or more hours per day. Think your desk job isn't affecting your health? Think again. A sedentary lifestyle, at home or work negatively impacts your health in multiple ways. Smoking, alcohol, lack of exercise and junk food are all detrimental to our health... we need to add sitting to that list as well. "Sitting diseases" are quickly lowering our lifespans and increasing our healthcare costs."

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037919_sitting_health_consequences_weight_gain.html#ixzz2C3xfvipE

Usually when we get up from your computer and move around, we would feel better. Hence, making it a regular habit to take breaks from the computer screen will help prevent fatigue. It will also prevent eye strain and shortsightedness. I learnt from this article about exercising our eyes, to look away faraway objects when resting our eyes from the computer screen.

"Another way to approach this is to simply exercise the range of motion of your ciliary muscles by alternating between focusing on close objects versus far away objects (such as the horizon). This is most accomplished from inside your home, near a window. Simply look at something on your desk, then look at something outside your window that's far, far away (ideally, at the horizon). Alternate this process several times, then rest your eyes, and then repeat. Do this daily for a few minutes each day."

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037775_pinhole_glasses_clear_vision_eyeglasses.html#ixzz2C3yoBBDo

Here's sharing this article that summarises three ways to minimise computer fatigue, using the 3 Rs:

http://www.fitsugar.com/Fight-Computer-Fatigue-Syndrome-Three-Rs-220146

• Readjust the computer screen so that our eyes look down (slightly from the top of the screen)
• Refocus our eyes on something far away once in a while (and also blink our eyes to keep our eyes moist)
• Remove ourselves from the workstation every now and then

Sometimes in the office, I would forget the above tips and I would find myself using a computer for about two hours or more at one stretch, before I started to feel mentally tired. I then had to remind myself to take a break. One way to help myself remember to take regular breaks is to drink water, so that before long, I would feel the urge to go to washroom, which gives me a chance to take a breather from the computer. Walking up the stairs and going to the rooftop also helps me refocus and refresh my mind, even as I look at faraway trees in the horizon to refocus my eyes for a few minutes. In my bedroom, I would remind myself also to look at the trees outside my bedroom window. I suppose you could do the same, and when the weather is fine, taking a walk outside does wonders too.

On a similar note, here's sharing the website on how to prevent myopia, which my colleague emailed me and other colleagues yesterday. http://myopia.org/index.htm

It has a free online ebook on the myopia myth, which I find informative. http://www.myopia.org/ebook/ I learnt that pinhole glasses can help correct short-sightedness, so I have gotten a pair of pinhole glasses from a pharmacy store recently.

According to the pinhole glasses manual, "The Bates method and vision therapy, like chiropractic and physiotherapy practices versus medical surgeries, as well as natural, organic health food and supplementation versus pharmaceutical drugs, are becoming a mainstream and effective alternative to the traditional views of health care today." I agree, as more and more people are coming to realise the importance and effectiveness of natural therapy, which is risk-free, drug-free and has no side effects.

The manual also gives the following advice, which we have discussed earlier about taking breaks regularly from the computer screen:

"You should take a vision break for 1-2 minutes every 30-40 minutes of near work, such as reading, computer work, playing computer games, including handheld games. A vision break is to look at far away objects, preferably at nature, and multi-coloured natural surroundings. You can put away your work, and take a walk, or close your eyes and relax for a moment. This activity helps to minimize vision-stress."

I can understand sometimes it can be easy to forget to take a vision break especially when we are engrossed in reading materials on the internet. So, reminders such as these are welcoming as they help ensure we avoid experiencing eye fatigue and mental fatigue. There were times when I felt a bit breathless walking up a few flights of stairs at my office, and I would heed these signs of fatigue and decided to take longer breaks in between my time on the computer so as to maintain sufficient energy and stamina in the long run.