Making time for eye health in 2025
Improving one’s health is a common New Year resolution, but eye health is often neglected when it comes to watching your wellness. People may have other priorities that may be more pressing, leaving little time for addressing vision.
In 2025, make time for eye health instead of putting it off or making it an afterthought. Practising conscious time management can help you be more mindful and aware of your time so you can intentionally focus on creating space in your schedule for eye care procedures habits. If you’re looking to be more intentional with your eyes and time, here are some strategies to help:
Schedule an eye test
Eye tests should be undertaken regularly, but many Brits tend to put them off. An estimated 19 million British people fail to have routine eye exams, including 2.5 million over 65. You may think an eye test isn’t that important, especially if you have no noticeable vision issues or other priorities.
However, these check-ups are crucial for tracking any vision changes and spotting eye conditions early, allowing you to preserve your eye health for longer. Don’t wait for free time to pop up in your schedule; consciously carve out time to visit an eye doctor to have your eye exam done as soon as possible. You can check if you’re eligible for a free eye test from the NHS beforehand, which can encourage you to get checked if you’re worried about costs. Aside from high street opticians, you can even get one done in your local Boots. If you aren’t qualified for a free test, you can check for any promotions or vouchers to help lower the expense. Book your appointment ahead of time to help prepare yourself and give you time to do your research.
Understand your vision priorities
Once you’ve got your eye test done, you’ll better understand your vision needs and what things you should prioritise. If your prescription has changed, you might have to buy a new pair of glasses or contact lenses and browse various options. To manage your time, understand what qualities you’re looking for in glasses or contacts beforehand, such as style, replacement schedule, brand, and more. You won’t have to wander around eyewear retailers or browse online for hours on end to find the right choice. If you’re at risk for an eye condition, you may have to make lifestyle changes and develop proper eye care habits to prevent or slow its progression. Your doctor will offer guidance on building proper eye care habits, such as eating a nutritious diet, staying hydrated, practising proper hygiene, and using your medication properly, making it easier to incorporate these things into your daily routine for better time management.
Create eye health goals
Creating goals is an essential aspect of conscious time management. They allow you to focus on what’s meaningful and important so you can channel effort into what matters. In the case of eye health, you can create goals or a plan to help you integrate eye care into your lifestyle. You can use the SMART goals framework to guide you. These goals should be smart, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based to make them well-defined and attainable instead of impossible. For instance, you can aim to have at least two meals or snacks containing good food for the eyes every week. With this goal, you can have a dish containing fatty fish for omega-3s or a vitamin C-rich fruit smoothie. Quitting smoking is a common goal for many and is a massive step in enhancing your eye health. Rather than saying, “I want to quit smoking this year”, give yourself a feasible deadline or gradually wean yourself off cigarettes little by little. Your goal can be “I will reduce cigarette consumption by half in six months” to make it more achievable. Knowing that your eye health will improve once you quit can be a great motivator to stick to your goal. Well-defined goals can help you manage your time wisely and consciously.
Post in Collaboration with Polly Smith.