We have become a nation of screen watchers. Television screens, movie screens, computer screens, and even cell phone and iPod display screens. Hell, even when we go to concerts, we usually pay less attention to the actual performers on the stage and focus our intentions instead on their image on the jumbo screens. While much, if not almost all, of this serves a purpose, eye doctors suggest that all this 'screen time' is doing a number on our eyes.

Dr. Jeffrey Anshel, founder of Corporate Vision Consulting, suggests performing what he calls the 3B approach to keeping your eyes from aging prematurely: Blink, Breathe, and Break.

Blink more often. Our blink rate goes down from about 12-15 times per minute to about times as few when we stare at a screen.

Breathe. When faced with stress, we tend to hold our breath. This tension affects our eyes over time.

Break. Take about 10 seconds every 10 minutes to take a break. Ideally, you should try to get up and move around. But, if this isn't an option, at least spend that time staring off to something in the distance and keep your eyes moving.

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Do people tell you that you have "good instincts" or that your "gut feelings" often come true? It may be that you've learned to rely on those snap decisions, and it turns out that's a good thing. New research suggests that -- at least in some situations -- those quick decisions are often more accurate than the ones we spend time thinking about.

A book was published last year on this topic, and though I've yet to read it, I was interested in what it had to say. According to this new research, when you take time to mull something over, your conscious or higher level thinking skills kick in and automatically override your subconscious thought. This can make you feel unsure or distrustful of your own feelings.

The article points out that this is probably a function of flight-or-fight. When the brain registers something that seems out of sorts or doesn't belong, it sends off alarm bells. When there's not time to consider what to do, the best thing to do is to follow your instincts.

Obviously not every decision should be made quickly, so I don't want to see anyone run out and buy a car or house because their "gut" told them to! Use your instincts, but use them wisely.

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