It’s always good to understand the principles and rules of any process leading to a gain of new skills. It is no different with vision development. So, while the instructions of your training specialist trump the below information, here is some information about what to expect and a few tips for getting you to your goal faster.

RELAX
Eyesight is at its best when you look in a relaxed way. This principle is true to all eyesight improvement techniques, in fact it is true to all seeing. Trying hard and with intensity will slow your vision improvement process down. Find out what being relaxed feels like by “looking” at an object with your eyes closed. Looking should never cause you pain, tension or strain. As you practice a technique (or an exercise), look with interest, and laugh when a humorous moment occurs. Breathe freely (don’t hold your breath) and blink often.

BE IN THE MOMENT
Seeing is an action that can only be done in the present. You can see neither in the past (that is remembering) nor in the future (that is imagination). Stop daydreaming. Be aware of your body and your surroundings in every moment. Look at the world with interest and curiosity.

TREAT EACH EYE AS ITS OWN ENTITY
In order for the two eyes to work in harmony, each eye individually has to be fully engaged in the act of seeing and have a solid connection with the visual cortex. During the process of vision improvement much of this is accomplished by leveraging monocluar vision occlusion.

COMMIT TO THE PROCESS, NOT TO THE END RESULT
Exceptional eyesight is a skill and, as such, takes time to fully develop. Be patient, know your ultimate goal, and commit to the process of getting there, not to the end result. It is when you are on the path, appreciating what you can see, vs. what you cannot, when the breakthrough will most likely happen.

PRACTICE OFTEN
While most vision training techniques are easy to understand, they are not always easy to perform. Frequent repetition is necessary for great results. Make eyesight improvement part of your daily routine. Without practice there will be no gain. So set up reminders on your phone or calendar and fit it in.

TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK
Eyesight is variable, not a constant. It is wrong to believe that a person with perfect eyesight sees perfectly at all times. The quality of one's vision depends on factors like health, the weather, emotional state, etc. Nobody’s vision is perfect all the time.

This is important to keep in mind when learning new vision skills. There may be days when the learning is easy, your vision gets sharper, your field of clarity expands. Then, the very next day you cannot make up the letters you saw just yesterday. This is the way it will most likely go. Two steps forward, one step back. Be ready for this, it is part of the process. Make the forward steps inspire you, don’t let the steps back defeat you.

LEARN FROM THE POINT OF EASE
Always learn a new skill the easiest way possible, and increase the difficulty as you go. Adjust the distance from which you practice, or choose the techniques that are easier to grasp. Give yourself a chance to succeed and challenge yourself gently, one inch at a time, one skill at a time.

ALWAYS PRACTICE WITH YOUR GLASSES OFF

Unless instructed otherwise by your therapist or coach, take your glasses off for the duration of your practice. Train in a safe environment and no matter how poor your eyesight is, practice with your eyes naked.

CELEBRATE AND REWARD YOURSELF TO STAY THE COURSE
Even the slightest improvement is a reason to reward yourself and your eyes. When you notice a change, however miniscule, welcome it with positive emotions. Be excessively excited! Be thankful for the tiniest progress you make.

Reward yourself! Make a list of at least 10 things that will motivate you to do your daily practice. Chocolate? Coffee? A walk in the park? A call to a friend? You know what you love, the things that you would do anything to eat, drink, do. Use them as a motivation and a reward to work on your vision, no matter how long or short your practice happens to be, and most importantly, no matter the result!

Celebrations and rewards trigger the release of dopamine (a feel good chemical) that helps the brain understand what we desire and that makes it easier to repeatedly come back to the same action (such as vision practice).

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR

If your vision challenges are severe or if there are visual skills that you need to re-learn from scratch, the process may bring temporary discomfort. The most common forms of such discomfort are motion sickness / nausea for those who do not see relative movement, brain fatigue for those with a significant difference of acuity between their two eyes, or awareness of fear of looking into the distance for those with heavy myopia. Even if any of these situations happen for you, learning to see is exhilarating. Time to time it may take your breath away (literally and figuratively). So, as you practice, pay attention to your eyes, your brain and your body. Be gentle. Breathe. Take as many breaks as you need. Don’t leap, inch forward instead. There is a whole new world waiting for you on the other side.

Finally, remember to judge your capabilities and listen to your body. Seek help of a medical professional when you feel the need.