Do You Experience Eyestrain When You Are Trading on Your Computer?

If so, please read on…

When you spend time at your computer trading, do your eyes get tired? Do the numbers on your trading platform get fuzzy at times? Are you straining to see? Below are some tips which may help you.

What is Eyestrain?

The definition of Eyestrain according to the Mayo Clinic Staff:

“Eyestrain occurs when your eyes get tired from intense use, such as driving a car for extended periods, reading, or working at a computer.”

“Although eyestrain can be annoying, it usually isn't serious and goes away once you rest your eyes. In some cases, signs and symptoms of eyestrain can indicate an underlying eye condition that needs treatment. Although you may not be able to change the nature of your job or all the factors that can cause eyestrain, you can take steps to reduce eyestrain.”

Today’s article shares some secrets which could help reduce your eyestrain and may help improve your vision while you are trading….

One of the biggest problems with our eyes is staring and straining to see which causes eyestrain.

When we learn to let our awareness do the seeing, it takes the strain off our eyes. This can help improve vision naturally.

As you may know, your eyes are like cameras. We actually see with the brain, not the eyes themselves.

The following tips are from articles written by Rosemary Gordon, an excellent eye educator, titled “Setting up Your Computer Screen to Support Good Vision” and “What Can I Do When Small Print Begins to Get Fuzzy.”

I also have referred to the book “Total Health at the Computer “written by Martin Sussman, Dr. Ernest Loewenstein, and Howard Sann to write this article.

The Look Away Technique

• When you are at the computer, remember to look away from the screen every 5 or 6 minutes at a distance of 10 to 20 feet or so.

Do this for about a minute, taking deeper breaths than normal at this time.

If your eyes are still strained, do it for a longer period of time.

It is very important to vary the distance at which we are looking. So remember to look away from the computer screen often.

It keeps the eyes in a relaxed state and also exercises the eye muscles. This could improve your vision.

Breathe

• Remember to keep your breath flowing freely at all times.

The Look Out Method

• If you do not have a window to look out or a big room, you can put a picture up above your computer showing a distant scene and imagine being part of that scene. You can also put a mirror on top of your computer or wall and direct your gaze into the mirror to see in back of you if your computer screen faces a wall.

Blink Often to See More Clearly

• It is also important to blink often every 4 or 5 seconds to improve vision.

Move Around Often

• Get up and move around every 10 to 15 minutes. Stretch and relax. Do some shoulder shrugs and neck stretches. Make sure your neck is loose and relaxed. Many eye problems are caused by stress in the neck.

Use Your Peripheral Vision

• Remember to see what surrounds you when you are looking at your computer screen. Be aware of your peripheral vision as you are seeing . This could allow you to reduce eyestrain.

Monitor Placement

• Place your computer monitor about arm's length away or where it is best for you to see it. The top of the monitor should be eye level, so your eyes have to look down to read. This helps to relax the eyes.

Posture

• Keep your back and neck straight. Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of you.
  Place your hips slightly above your knees to keep your posture correct.

Look Into A Room

• If you can place your computer in a spot so you are looking into the room it will help your depth perception and peripheral vision. This allows you to see in 3-d instead of the boring 2-d. The best vision occurs when you use both eyes and see “binocular.” Your eyes get bored when they look at the same thing for extended periods of time. They need stimulation, excitement, and exploration.

Wake Up Your Tired Trading Eyes

• A great way to wake up the eyes is to notice a color such as blue. Now notice another color blue and see how it is different from the original blue color. Notice how the 2 colors are different and in what ways. Visualize the different shades of blue in each color? The eyes love to be stimulated and awakened, and this can reduce eyestrain.

Screen Glare

• Make sure your computer screen does not have any glare from lights or windows. The glare makes your eyes strain.

Look at the Corners of your Monitor Screen

• When you notice your eyes getting tired, look at the corners of your monitor and move your eyes in a rapid fashion. Start at the top left corner then move to the top right, then to the bottom left and finish with the bottom right. Now move around the 4 corners in a square, starting from top right to top left, to bottom right to bottom left. Then do the square in reverse.

Next, start at the bottom left corner and move your eyes to the bottom right. Then go up to the top left and end with the top right.

Do each of the above exercises 10 times.

To make the above exercise more interesting for your eyes, you can use a calendar. Cut out the numbers and tape them on each of the four corners on your monitor.

Remember to breathe, relax, and use your peripheral vision. Notice your surroundings and it will help you to relax and reduce eyestrain while trading.

By practicing these lessons, your eyestrain could be reduced, allowing you to be a more relaxed trader.

Feel free to leave a comment below…