Do you have TTE?

I bet you’re wondering what TTE is, right? It stands for Tired Tech Eyes and is an acronym we use in our house. After my kids spend some time on a screen I may look at them and say, “looks like ya got TTE.” They don’t love that, but it’s a real thing.

Truthfully, tech burnout affects not only your eyes but your breath, head, neck, and shoulders.

You hold your breath when you’re focused or stressed.

Your eyes get aggravated by too much screen. 

Your head, neck, and shoulders get tense.

Today, screens are a part of our lives, so what do we do? Let’s tackle these one at a time, starting with breath. 

Breath

Notice your breath while working at the computer, checking email, or reading the news online. We tend to hold our breath or use shallow breathing when we are very focused, or stressed. And let’s face it, reading emails or online news can cause both of those things!

There’s even a term for it – “email apnea”. Linda Stone, a writer and researcher, coined the term around 2008. After observing changes in her breath, she dug into the research. Neuroscience researchers detected the brain “switching off” certain subconscious activities, such as breathing, during a demanding task. 

This phenomenon is common and can become chronic if your breathing changes every time you’re on the computer.  

What can you do?

Tip #1 – Awareness

Notice your breathing when on the computer. I hear you, you’re on the computer all day for work. I get it. Try noticing your breath right away when you sit down to work, read email, etc. Awareness is the first step to making a small change. You may be surprised at what you observe.

Tip #2 – Practice Equal Part Breathing

Take a pause from the computer to control your breath.

• Sit tall. Close your eyes.

• Inhale for a count of 4 through your nose, pause, then exhale through your nose for a count of 4. Pause.

• Now repeat for 10 rounds.

• When done exhale out the mouth.

• Gently open your eyes and get back to your day. 

A nice by-product of focusing on your breath is that your brain won’t focus on anything else. You’ll give yourself a little brain break. 

Eyes

Back to those “tired tech eyes.” Our poor eyes feel the effects of being on a screen a lot. Eyes feel strained, tired, or you may get headaches. 

What can you do?

Tip #1 – 20-20-20 Rule

The American Optometric Association recommends using the 20-20-20 Rule. Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break, and look at something 20 feet away.  I hear you. Every 20 minutes! Start small, do it every 30 minutes, or even every hour. Set a reminder. Your eyes will thank you. 

Tip #2 – Palming the eyes

• Sit tall. Rub your palms together for 10 seconds until they feel warm and energized.

• Close your eyes and gently place your palms over your eyes. Your fingertips rest on your forehead and the heels of your palms touch the cheeks.

• Don’t touch the eyeballs directly, but let them welcome the warmth and energy from your palms.

• As you take this break from any visual stimulation, breathe softly in and out. You could even add in the equal part breathing here.

• Stay here for 10 breaths, longer if you like.

Tip #3 – Eye Rolling

I roll my eyes daily. Not in the way we discourage our kids from doing, but to help my eyes. Since your eyes are often gazing dead ahead it can feel good to move them around.

• Sit tall and relax your eyes and face.

• Unclench your jaw.

• Without moving your head, circle your eyes in a clockwise direction.

• Don’t rush, go slow.

• Repeat 5 times, then circle your eyes in a counterclockwise direction.

• Close your eyes when done for 3 breaths then open them. 

Head, Neck, and Shoulders

Tension. Poor posture. Sitting at a computer can cause both. Even with an ergonomic chair, it can be a struggle to not round the shoulders, or not let them creep up toward our ears. And then there’s the forward head thing. Our chin juts forward so our head is actually in front of our body instead of on top of our spine where it prefers to hang out.  

What can you do?

Tip #1 – Long exhales

Your breath comes to your rescue, again.

• Sit tall with both feet on the ground.

• Gently close your eyes.

• Inhale through the nose and exhale a long one out the nose.

• Make your exhale longer than the inhale.

• With every long exhale feel your shoulders soften down, relax your jaw, and soften your tongue.

• Do this at least 5 times.

Then get back to your day, coming back to this short practice as needed.

Tips #2 – Gentle Chest Opener

For this tip, you’ll need a rolled-up blanket, towel, or a yoga mat. You want your rolled-up item to be about the length of your spine.

• Place the roll on the floor

• Lay on it so the roll is along your spine.

• Make sure your head is also supported by the roll.

• Your butt can be on the ground.

• Rest your arms on either side of you, widening them to shoulder height if it’s comfortable.  

• Stay here for at least 5 minutes if you can. 

This will open your chest in a gentle, passive way. It keeps your head in line with your spine and lets the shoulders soften. Start with a small roll and see how it feels.

Try out some of these tips. Your body will thank you! 

Sources:

Stone, Linda. “Are you breathing? Do you have email apnea?” https://lindastone.net/2014/11/24/are-you-breathing-do-you-have-email-apnea/ . Accessed 1 December 2021.

Cell Press. (2006, April 30). Watching The Brain Switch Off ‘Self’. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 26, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060430004451.htm

American Optometric Association. “Computer Vision Syndrome.” https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/computer-vision-syndrome?sso=y . Accessed 1 December 2021.