Are diagonal eye exercises safe?

For most people, yes, when done slowly and within a comfortable range. Check with your eye doctor first if you have an eye condition or recent eye surgery.

Diagonal eye exercise

Corner to corner, both diagonals. First from top left to bottom right, then from bottom left to top right.

40 sec guided
2 steps
Good for: Adding variety to side-to-side and up-and-down

Follow the dot from top left to bottom right

Step 1 of 240 sec

How to do it

Head still, look straight ahead.
Look up and to the left, as far as is comfortable. Pause briefly.
Look down and to the right. Pause. Repeat for 20 seconds.
Switch: look down and to the left, then up and to the right, for another 20 seconds.
Blink a few times and look into the distance.

Why it helps, and what the evidence says

Diagonal movements complete the set of straight eye movements found in eye yoga routines. Studies of those routines are small and found lower eye fatigue, not better vision. Use diagonals as a short, gentle change from fixed screen focus.

Tips

Move only as far as feels easy, keep your head still, and stop if you feel dizzy, get a headache or see double.
Diagonals can feel harder than straight lines. Shorten the movement if you need to.