Best views are seen on the coast, according to poll

Sea vistas and sunset rank among Britons’ favourite sights

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The best sights in life are seen on the coast, including sea views, an open beach and the sunrise and sunset, according to a poll examining what people most enjoyed looking at.

Home comforts also ranked high with one-third “loving nothing more” than the sight of fresh bedding while 26 per cent said they liked to look at a clean house.

The poll of 2,000 adults, commissioned by Scope Eyecare, also found the UK is a nation of animal lovers, with birds flying around in the morning and a dog wagging its tail featuring in the top 50.

Eye care expert and oculoplastic surgeon Dr Sabrina Shah-Desai said: “It’s clear from the research how important sight is in terms of lifting people’s spirits.

“Eyesight and healthy eyes are often taken for granted, and that’s even despite the prevalence of sore and dry eyes – something which affects half the population.

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“While ‘lockdown eyes’ are a definite result of increased screen time, less natural light and even stress, there are lots of things we can do to ease discomfort and minimise potential longer-term damage.”

The research also found the positive feeling from looking at a nice view can last almost five hours.

As the world’s lockdown restrictions ease, the survey asked what participants would most like to see and found more than one-third of adults had a bucket list of places they wanted to visit.

More than 25 per cent wanted to visit UK cities while 31 per cent said they would rather go abroad – with countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Japan being popular choices.

Two-fifths of adults vowed to visit more beaches in life and 42 per cent would like to see more if nature.

It was found that people experienced an average of five “sights for sore eyes” during a typical week, but this had decreased by 20 per cent during lockdown.

But more than half admitted they took nice sights for granted pre-lockdown, with 42 per cent actively looking for a positive image each day during isolation.

The poll also found that the lockdown had resulted in 42 per cent looking at screens for longer than usual, which may explain why one-quarter had experienced an increase in tired eyes.

Half of those polled, via OnePoll, even claimed to have experienced uncomfortable eyes every day.

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It was also found that 52 per cent believed it was important for them to keep their eyes healthy, with 60 per cent getting regular eye tests, 58 per cent wearing their glasses when needed and 53 per cent ensuring they got enough sleep – all crucial to maintaining good eye health.

However, one-quarter wanted to take better care of their eyes, with many admitting to some bad eye health habits – including almost two-thirds of women

More than half of adults failed to take regular screen breaks while 58 per cent did not get enough natural light.

Dr Shah-Desai added: “When concentrating on digital screens our blink rate decreases from eight clinks per minute to just one or two, leading to eye strain and dry eyes.

“With 42 per cent of people experiencing a notable difference in their eye health since lockdown, including tiredness, soreness and dryness, it’s more important than ever to look after our eyes.”

SWNS