The Sniper Stare
Today, a quick trick for you to try out. Introducing the sniper stare, to try next time you’re outside for a walk:
Find your usual landmark distant object (text or an image with corners / edge is best). Focus on it and blink several times, until you find the image to be at the best focus you can achieve. Now, stop blinking. Look at a specific part of the image (a corner, or letter), and stay focused on it. Hold this for 10-15 seconds. Then, blink once, while keeping your gaze on the same point. The sharpness of the object now likely appears a bit better even, than before. Again maintain focus for 10-15 seconds. Then look away, relax your eyes. Repeat if you like, after a few minute break.
This works best if you have not spend more than 2-3 hours at close up focus prior.
And a quick reminder, for good habits:
- Get some morning time (20 minutes) without any correction.
- At least once every other, make (and drink) organic carrot juice.
- Avoid working close-up in low ambient lighting.
- Check your centimeter. Is your prescription still accurate?
- Are you maintaining good distance? (50cm or more)
- Have you posted questions, comments, observations in the forum, lately?
- Have you considered a new distance focus prioritizing hobby or past time?
- Are you getting a day off from up-close focus?
I am not a fan of a lot of the eye exercises floating around the Internet, largely based on the Bates Method. Most exercises are not emulating natural eyesight function, and just create eye strain. While there is some short term perceived improvement, a large majority of those practices provide zero long term improvement.
There a few exceptions.
By now we have spent enough time on the core aspects that create long term improvement. With those having become strong habits (always wearing differential, or no glasses up-close, distance prescription strength reductions, focus pushing and pulling), we can indulge in a few focus exercises.
Just keep in mind, as you look at those upcoming installments, that these only play a supporting role. Locking in improvements requires keeping strain low, and always keeping prescriptions at the minimum necessary to achieve sharp focus.
Try out the sniper stare, as a conscious vehicle to improve your distant focus pulling. Then when you feel you got the most out of that, let’s look at the next session: the fourth focal plane. (yup, that’s right … another focal plane to play with!)
Until then,
Cheers. 😉
-Jake
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