Putting the Eye in Mindfulness

What is a Mindfulness Practice?

Mindfulness invites us to pause, observe, and respond with intention rather than reacting out of habit. People often hear mindfulness and think meditation. I say let’s look as meditation as part of balanced mindfulness diet.

In this increasingly busy world, more people have developed a mindfulness practice. Maybe it’s an early quiet morning with meditation and yoga, or perhaps journaling over a cup of hot cocoa before bedtime. It’s your mindfulness practice so do what makes you feel more happy.

Maybe that needs some clarification. You can have two beers and be happy, but is that being mindful? That’s for you to decide. I suggest that perhaps a mindful practice is one that pulls you out of the present moment and allows you to reflect on your current state. Sometimes it’s focusing on a breathing technique, a sound or an image. Our mindfulness practice is something we do every day to build our resilience, the ability to cope with daily challenges and return to balance.

So What About My Eyes?

One of the skills developed through mindfulness is awareness of our changing state.

As we develop mindfulness, we become more aware of our changing state and are in a better space to respond to things.

Ok, the eyes.

Your eyes are open most of your waking hours. At some point in that day, you will spend a lot of time looking at a screen. It might be a work computer, the screen on your phone, or a movie marathon on TV. When you engage on a screen for any length of time, you are focused on that screen and it’s very likely you’re not mindful where your eyes are concerned.

The average person blinks 15-20 times a minute. A few decades of research have shown blinking slows drastically to 4-6 times a minute. Computer monitors and smaller displays make you focus your eyes closer. These can lead to watering, red, or dry eyes, blurred vision, muscle strain, or headache. So how can we be more mindful about our eyes?

Meyendfulness

To start being more mindful about your eyes, here is a practice you can use daily at work and while relaxing. It’s called the 20-20-20 Rule.

• Set a timer for 20 minutes.
• Look away from your screen at an object at least 20 feet or 6 metres away. If you’re watching a larger screen, try looking a greater distance out a window.
• Do this for 20 seconds and don’t forget to blink!
• Repeat this at regular 20 minute intervals until you’re done viewing that screen.

Taking these short breaks helps moisturize your eyes, and gives the eye’s focusing muscles a chance to relax. Being mindful of your eyes, through simple techniques like the 20-20-20 Rule, is just one example of how we can bring awareness and balance into areas we often overlook.

Remember, your mindfulness practice is personal and unique. The key is consistency and a commitment to self-care, whether that’s through meditation, journaling, or simply being mindful of your screen time. Every small step you take towards greater awareness helps you reconnect with yourself and enhances your ability to thrive in an ever-changing world.