Try these 5 eye exercises to relieve stress

YYou probably never thought to do a bunch of eyeball exercises at the end of your leg day. However, no matter how silly it may seem, there are many benefits to training your eyes.

Anne Collins Duch says: “Just as we talk about focusing on people’s posture or strengthening your legs, talking about facial muscles—tongue, eyes—is just as important as any other set of muscles. any other part of your body, and it’s often overlooked,” says Anne Collins Duch. DPT, on Physical Therapy for Women in Delaware.

Dr. Duch says people who sit at a computer for long hours can experience headaches, neck discomfort, eye strain, jaw clenching and tension between the eyebrows. Fortunately, just spending a minute or two on a few eyeball exercises—also known as “eye yoga,” as Dr. Duch affectionately calls it—can help us realize we’re stressed. where and release it.

While they may feel a little silly at first, Dr. Duch’s patients often tell her they experience immediate relief from common aches and pains after completing their exercise routine. Her recommended eye exercises for stress relief, whether it’s clenching your jaw less or wrinkling a little more. their foreheads.

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Dr. Duch adds, eyeball exercises can also be a unique way to calm your nervous system. Our eyes are often one of the first parts of the body to respond to emotions. When we are worried or scared, our eyes dilate. So eyes can also be an effective way to calm our nervous system when we feel anxious or overwhelmed.

Dr. Duch recommends completing a round of the following exercises two to three times a day. And if you’re really serious about it, you can video yourself while completing the routine to track what she calls “sticky spots,” or moments where your eyes struggle to maintain. smooth movement. These could be signs that you are stressed out somewhere.

Try these 5 eye exercises to relieve stress

1. Nod your head

1. Hold your index finger directly in front of you, a little closer to arm’s length.
2. Slowly raise and lower your chin three times while still looking at your index finger.

2. Head shakes

1. Hold your index finger directly in front of you, a little closer to arm’s length.
2. Slowly turn your head from left to right three times while still staring at your index finger.

3. Diagonal

1. Hold your index finger directly in front of you, a little closer to arm’s length.
2. Starting from the center, slowly move your head on a diagonal from the top right to the bottom left.
3. Complete this move three times, then switch crosses.

4. Fingers back and forth

1. Hold your index finger directly in front of you, a little closer to arm’s length.
2. Slowly move your index finger closer to your face, then away, while keeping your gaze fixed on your finger.
3. Complete this three times.

5. Both sides

1. Bring both index fingers out in front of you, a little closer to arm’s length, and your thumbs touching.
2. Keeping your head still, slowly shift your gaze from your right index finger to your left.
3. Complete this three times.

Watch Dr. Anne Collins Duch demonstrate the movements here: