If you ask 100 people which is the most important of the five senses, most people will likely answer vision. Since vision is so essential, you’ll want to do what you can to keep your eyes healthy. One way to improve their health is to learn exercises to relieve stressed eyes.

Working at a computer for eight or more hours a day can wreck havoc on your eyes. You’re staring at a screen which may or may not be at the proper height, there may be glare all over the screen, and you may simply spend too much time working without taking breaks. All of these, and more, will cause your eyes to become stressed. Use one or more of these exercises to relieve stressed eyes.

1. Palming will teach you to relax the muscles around your eyes. Begin by warming your hands up by rubbing them together. Then cup your warm hands over your closed eyes, with fingertips touching the middle of your forehead, but don’t touch your eyelids. Sit with your hands over your eyes for a couple of minutes. The darkness you “see” with your eyes closed will become darker.

2. Near-far focus is an exercise where you increase the flexibility of your eyes. Begin by holding your thumb about six inches in front of you, level with your nose. Focus on your thumb for a moment and then take in a deep breath. Exhale slowly and move your focus to something about 10 feet away. Take another breath, exhale, and then re-focus on your thumb. Repeat this 15 times for the most benefit.

3. Hydrotherapy can do wonders to relieve stress in the eyes. Place two bowls of water on the table. One will be hot, but not hot enough to burn you. The other will be ice cold. Put a washcloth in each and wring them out. Place the hot cloth against your closed eyes for 30 seconds, and then replace it with the cold one for 30 seconds. Alternate every 30 seconds for about two minutes. Using a dry towel, gently massage your closed eyes to finish.

4. Head rolls can reduce stress in the neck, which can also affect your eyes. Take a deep breath and then gently close your eyes. As you exhale, drop your chin to your chest. Resist the temptation to force this, simply and slowly move the head forward. You should feel the muscles stretch in your neck, but be sure to keep your shoulders and neck relaxed.

Inhale deeply and slowly roll your head to one shoulder and then back to center. Exhale and move your head to the opposite side. Repeat this two or three times on each side ensuring you move slowly and carefully, and keep your shoulders and neck as relaxed as possible.

There are many things which can cause stress in the eyes, but working at a computer or other video display terminal is often the culprit. Begin using these exercises to relieve stressed eyes. Your eyes will thank you.