Is rolling your eyes good for eye strain?

Slow eye circles can be a relaxing break from fixed screen focus. The evidence is limited to small eye yoga studies, and there's no evidence they improve vision.

Why do my eyes click or feel strange during eye circles?

Some people notice odd sensations at the edges of their range. Make the circle smaller and slower. If you feel pain, dizziness or double vision, stop and mention it to an eye doctor.

Eye circles exercise

Slow circles in both directions. Follow the dot clockwise, then anticlockwise. Take your time: one circle every six seconds.

40 sec guided
2 steps
Good for: A fuller eye-movement break

Follow the dot slowly, clockwise

Step 1 of 240 sec

How to do it

Head still. Imagine a large clock face in front of you.
Slowly trace the edge of the clock with your eyes, clockwise from 12 back round to 12. Take about 6 seconds per circle.
After 20 seconds, blink and switch to anticlockwise for another 20 seconds.
Blink a few times and look into the distance.

Why it helps, and what the evidence says

Eye rotations appear in the eye yoga routines tested in two small studies, which found lower eye fatigue scores. The studies were small and not randomized. Eye circles are a relaxing movement break, not a vision treatment.

Tips

Move only as far as feels easy, keep your head still, and stop if you feel dizzy, get a headache or see double.
Make the circle smaller if the edges feel like a strain.
If full circles feel uncomfortable, try half circles instead.