When your eyes are doing the most: Try Yoga (yes, for your eyeballs)

Elisa Nuevo Vallín
2 hours ago
3 min read

Let’s be honest: if you're Deaf, hard of hearing, or a committed lipreader, your eyes deserve their own national holiday.

They’re constantly on the clock — darting between lips, hands, captions, and facial expressions like some kind of Olympic decoder. And all that focus? It comes at a cost: eye fatigue. Yes, it’s a thing. And no, blinking aggressively at your screen doesn’t count as rest.

So if you’ve ever found yourself squinting at a fast talker in bad lighting or mentally screaming “SLOW DOWN I’M NOT A LASER SCANNER,” then welcome — you’re among friends.

“Is Sight a Deaf Superpower?”

Science says: kind of, yes!

Studies show that Deaf people, particularly those Deaf from birth, tend to have heightened peripheral vision. That means their eyes are basically running a full-time surveillance operation — constantly scanning for movement, lips, signs, facial expressions, subtitles, and the nearest exit when someone says “let’s just jump on a quick call.”

But superpowers or not, your eyes get tired. REALLY tired.

The Struggle is Real

Here’s what eye fatigue can feel like:

Dry, itchy eyes (aka “why does my eyeball feel like sandpaper?”)
Blurry vision and headaches
Double vision or a weird tingly eye-zombie state
Burning sensations — not dramatic at all

And the culprits? Oh, just:

Lipreading marathons
Poor lighting
Staring at computer screens like your deadline depends on it
Holding laser eye contact with someone who won’t stop talking in complex metaphors

Enter: Yoga for the Eyes

Before you roll them (gently, please — we’re about to do that), hear us out.

You don’t need a mat, leggings, or a playlist of forest sounds.

Just five minutes, your face, and the willingness to look slightly ridiculous for the sake of eyeball recovery.

Ready? Let’s give those overachieving eyes a proper spa day.

Eye Yoga Moves to Un-tire Your Tired Eyes

First things first: Sit upright, keep your spine long, and take a few calm breaths. Bonus points if you’re not surrounded by three screens and a pile of stress.

🔥 WARM-UP: Palming

Rub your hands together until they’re warm. Gently cup them over your closed eyes — don’t poke yourself!

Breathe. Relax. Feel dramatic in a good way.

↔️ STRETCH: Left to Right

Move your eyes slowly side to side. Keep your head still.

Repeat 5 times like you’re suspicious of someone whispering secrets in both ears.

⬆️⬇️ STRETCH: Up and Down

Same again, but now look up and down (not because someone told a bad joke — this is real work). Repeat 5 times.

🔄 EYE ROLLING: Clockwise and Anti-clockwise

Circle your eyes slowly clockwise 3 times. Then close them, take a breath, and repeat in the other direction.

👀 FOCUS DRILL: Thumb Challenge

Hold your thumb out. Stare at it like it just said something offensive.

Slowly bring it toward your nose, then take it back out. Follow it with your eyes.

Repeat 5 times.

🌄 DISTANCE GAZING

Pick something far away to look at. A tree, a lamppost... Focus gently, then switch to another distant object.

Repeat 5 times and try not to zone out too hard.

💡 Quick Tips to Keep Eye Strain Away (No Yoga Required)

Keep your screen 20–26 inches away
Try the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 mins, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds
Blink. Yes, more than once an hour
Use eye drops if needed
Humidifier + air purifier = happy eyeballs
Alternate warm and cold compresses (just not straight from the freezer)
Take breaks. Breathe. Maybe even touch grass

Quick takeaway

If you rely on your eyes more than the average human, whether you’re Deaf, hard of hearing, a lipreader, or all three, give those peepers the TLC (Tender Loving Care) they deserve.

Your eyes do a lot. Help them do it better, for longer, and without staging a mutiny mid-Zoom call.

Namaste, eyeballs 🧘‍♀️