How to do it

  1. Look away from the screen and relax your face.
  2. Each time the eye closes on screen, close your eyes gently and fully, so the upper and lower lids meet.
  3. Open them slowly. Don't scrunch your whole face, just your eyelids.
  4. Keep going for 30 seconds: about 15 slow blinks.

The longer version used in studies

  1. Close your eyes gently and fully.
  2. Pause for about 2 seconds.
  3. Gently squeeze your lids together for about 2 seconds.
  4. Open your eyes and relax.
  5. Repeat 10 to 15 times, up to three times a day.

Why it helps, and what the evidence says

When you concentrate on a screen you tend to blink less often, and many blinks don't close fully. Researchers have linked a high share of incomplete blinks with more screen-related symptoms.

Blinking exercises have the best evidence of any eye exercise for screen comfort, though the studies are small. In a 2021 study, 41 people with dry eye symptoms did short blinking exercises every 20 minutes for four weeks. Their symptom scores improved and incomplete blinks dropped from 54% to 34%. A 2025 study found that 15 close-squeeze-open cycles, three times a day, worked best of the routines it tested. A 2024 review lists blinking exercises among the most studied treatments for digital eye strain.

Tips

  • Do a blink reset after every meeting or call.
  • If you wear contact lenses and your eyes often feel dry, mention it to your eye doctor.
  • Pair it with a 20-second look-away for a complete eye break.

Read more: Digital eye strain · Eye exercises for computer users.