New Meaning: “Eyes on the Horizon”

Could looking at open vistas change your life? The science is beginning to say so! As it turns out, the eyes (which are technically the only external expression of brain matter in the body) offer a reciprocal relationship with our central nervous system. 

Fight or Flight Upregulation = Constricted Pupils = Narrowed, Tunneled Focus

 

Restorative Downregulation = Dilated Pupils = Open, Broad Focus

If you’re being attacked by a robber on a street, we know what your eyes will look like (constricted). If you’re in a rest and digest-type state on an island vacation, we also know what your eyes will generally look like (dilated), too. 

Yes, your environment can affect your state.

But, what if you could control your state with your eyes?

It turns out.. You can! 

How do you think your central nervous system will respond to focusing on small text like this all day on your phone or laptop? You guessed it. It’s a stress response! A cheap, instant way to change your physiology to a more regulated, calmer state, you can open your aperture of your eyes by looking at open spaces and the horizon. 

Try it!