Straining to See is Good for You?
If you wear glasses then you already know the frustration that they can cause in your everyday life. From constantly cleaning spots and dirt from the lenses, to losing and forgetting them at work or home, glasses can really cramp your style.
While contacts were originally marketed as a more fashionable and convenient eyewear solution, they can be even more frustrating than glasses. From increasing the time it takes to get through the morning routine, to daily cleaning and eye irritation, they are really no better than your traditional eye-wear.
But is there an alternative that doesn’t involve expensive and risky laser surgery?
There is, and it is as simple as taking them off!
Do you have a prescription and wearing your glasses or contacts all the time?
If you are then you may be weakening your eyes. You do not need your glasses all the time and wearing corrective lenses for distance while using your computer or your reading glasses while driving is creating eye strain that can lead to irritation and near-point stress.
Near-point stress over time can increase myopia of the eye and will cause your vision to get worse over time.
So if this sounds familiar and you are tired of needing strong and more expensive glasses every few years, here a few simple things that you can do to prevent your eyes from getting any worse. It may even improve your vision!
- Use your glasses less! If you are nearsighted and need your glasses for driving or watching television then make sure you take them off when reading or working on the computer, or vice versa.
- Remove your glasses whenever it is safe to and try to rely less on them for seeing. Think of occasionally straining to see as good exercise for the eyes.
- If you usually use glasses for reading try purchasing larger print books or increasing the font size of your computer so you can use them less often.
- When preforming up close work, use the Rebuild Your Vision 10-10-10 Rule.
- Preform your eye exercises regularly.
Sounds simply enough, but these easy steps can really make a marked improvement in your vision.
Hmm… that is an interesting post. I have tried doing a couple of your exercises. They remind me of doing those “find the 3-D hidden image” things when I was a kid. You would put your nose really close to the image, and then back away, while crossing your eyes, and suddenly the image would come into focus, and POP. I wear glasses, and contacts, and will agree, that it keeps getting worse. It’s funny, when I was in 4th grade, my parents decided I needed glasses… which is funny, because I don’t remember having any trouble seeing… someone mentioned a conspiracy, I wonder… Anyway, I can’t image going without my glasses, I mean sometimes I do, but mostly to go to the shower and stuff right after I first wake up (I mean, what do I need to look at anyway? lol). But, I’ll have to give this a try, and see if there’s any marked improvement after a couple months. (or maybe years, I’m in no rush, as long as it doesn’t get any worse!) I’m already -3.50 in my left eye, and -2.75 in my right, which I think means I’m legally blind in my left eye. Hmm.. not good. Thanks for the post.
I try this in many ways: #1 I have the vision defense software alerting me every 10 mins (the 10min rule).
I use glasses for PC or TV only. If I go shopping I don’t wear them or lenses, I rely on my eyesight. True I won’t see everything, but I am used to it now, it’s good.
I actually worry when my glasses are on my face, I constantly am aware of them, they’re only a tool like Orlin Sorensen says. You use them when needed only (when you really need them).
It may be less fun walking down the street without glasses or lenses, but it’s more “fun” for the eye health.
Karl
I used to wear my glasses permanently for nearsightedness because I thought I couldn’t live without them.
But if you actually make the effort to go a few hours without glasses – preferably first thing in the morning to begin – you can suddenly see how GOOD your vision is!
Try it! Don’t depend on your glasses for everything, you really don’t need them
I never use my glasses, except for usually when I watch TV. But not always when I watch TV.
Rebecca,
how comes you are wearing glasses on this post: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2009/05/rebecca-turner-interview/
Samuel
Hi Samuel, that photo was taken in July 2007, one year before I started vision training. I still use it on unrelated blogs because it’s one of the few good photos I have
Hi everyone
My vision is -5.25 RE and -4.75 LE..so can anyone suggest some exercises ? I guess i definitely need my glasses off or my eye number to come down to a bear-able range. Any helpful suggestion/exercise would be welcome
Without knowing about this tip, I’ve actually removed my glasses whenever it was safe, like at home or watching TV, for 3 years. Late last year an optometrist was surprised that my presciption reduced by approximately +1.5 units in that period so that instead of the stronger lenses (from -4.75 to -5.0)that she’d expected it is now closer to -3. This has nothing to do with Orlin’s method or emailed tips because I’ve not read 90% of them yet. Think of this as an independent real live testing of a theory that only few people know. This is only one case though
Hi Jasjot,
To try an eye exercise, please click the link below:
http://www.rebuildyourvision.com/tryaneyeexercise/
To your vision — for life,
Orlin
Hi Grace,
Congratulations on your success and reducing the dependency on your glasses. Have you ever tried eye exercises on top of your individual study? I would love to hear your success with eye exercises on top of your study.
To your vision — for life,
Orlin
Hi Orlin,
I’m interested in one of your method which is decreasing prescription of the glasses. I’ve tried to reduce to 2 Diopter (my eyes – 6.5 , i use 4.5) especially in reading and do computer work for several hours. But i doesn’t seem really work.
Any helpful suggestion? I’ve tried this but it seem my eyes get slightly blurred
Hi Andrew,
The Rebuild Your Vision program can help to improve common vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and aging vision (presbyopia).
The exercises and techniques are designed to strengthen and relax your visual system just as you would any other weak part of your body, improving your vision and helping you to see clearly — naturally.
The catch is dedicating 25 minutes a day to the exercises and techniques. The program is very easy-to-follow and is laid out in a step-by-step, minute-by-minute format. Once you receive the package you can begin the exercises within 10-15 minutes. Most people see a marked improvement within the first few weeks, with significant improvements in the following 2-3 months.
Even higher degrees of correction can be helped with our program but it will likely take more time and dedication on your part. The exercises have been designed to be adjusted for all ranges of clarity.
To your vision — for life,
Orlin
My vision is really bad, i have myopia and I have 3/10 and 4.5/10(according to the doctor). I have worn glasses for 8 years now, and when I asked the doctor about my eyes, he said that bad eyesight is decided before birth, and as for eye exercices, he said that they were useless. In many websites, it’s said that it’s better not to use glasses all the time, and that it can help people improve their eyesight, but I was wondering if it applies to me too.
I tried th Snellen eye chart, and I couldn’t even see the biggest letter (the one that normal people see at 200 ft) standing 10 ft from the card.
Can my eyesight improve naturally?
Hi Sanae,
The Rebuild Your Vision program can help to improve common vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and aging vision (presbyopia).
The exercises and techniques are designed to strengthen and relax your visual system just as you would any other weak part of your body, improving your vision and helping you to see clearly — naturally.
The catch is dedicating 25 minutes a day to the exercises and techniques. The program is very easy-to-follow and is laid out in a step-by-step, minute-by-minute format. Once you receive the package you can begin the exercises within 10-15 minutes. Most people see a marked improvement within the first few weeks, with significant improvements in the following 2-3 months.
Even higher degrees of correction can be helped with our program but it will likely take more time and dedication on your part. The exercises have been designed to be adjusted for all ranges of clarity.
To your vision — for life,
Orlin