Why Photography is Mental Health Self-Care for Me.
I came across this post the other day and couldn’t help but identify with what the subject of the interview was saying:
Photography goes against everything society says we should be doing. It requires you to slow down and notice the things around you. It requires you not to be in a rush and to be still, waiting for the right moment and the right scene. It demands attention and forces you to open your eyes to what is happening around you, rather than what is happening in your own mind.
It also often requires moving your body – walking in nature, wandering around the neighborhood, or even your home and yard.
Personally, I struggle with mindfulness. My brain tends to move a million miles an hour in six different directions most days. On good days, I can reign it in and focus on one or two things. On bad days, well, it’s chaotic in there. A hobby like photography requires not only that I focus, but that I still my brain long enough to notice my surroundings. It’s a kind of forced mindfulness for me because I enjoy taking photos, and getting better at photography is an ongoing lesson in slowing down and paying attention.
I especially enjoy photographing new places and nature. Both of those things require me to move. Photography is often the impetus to explore a location, which involves movement. Similar to how it’s a forced mindfulness practice, it’s also a bit of forced exercise that forces time in nature.
Photographing birds also provides me with some of the same benefits that others derive from bird-watching.
Once I’ve taken the photos, I share them. I’ve been committed to sharing one photo per day (six days a week, with Sundays off to share links to other images) for years now on my photography blog. That commitment acts as a positive influence. I have to get out and take pictures to live up to that. Taking photos requires me to move and to slow down my brain. Sharing those photos online also creates a little community. Sure, it’s mostly just friends and family, but it’s a little way that I try to connect with them each day.
We all know how important small acts of connection can be to our mental health, too.
For me, this is a full circle of mental health goodness packed into one hobby. I encourage you to find a hobby that can become an integral part of your self-care routine.
I also invite you to visit my photo blog and follow along to establish a connection through a photo each day, if you enjoy that kind of thing. I certainly enjoy sharing them with you and would love to be a small part of your daily routine if the photos can bring a bit of beauty and fun into your day.
Additionally, I will be launching a platform where anyone interested can purchase some of my photos as art. I’m just getting started and will continue to add more images moving forward. Feel free to take a look and consider adding some artwork to your collection. As you know, I don’t ask my readers for subscription fees or anything like that for this site. I think the content and connection are too important, and I’m happy to cover the costs of running it myself. On the other hand, if you’d like to get something nice to hang on your wall and also help offset some of the costs I incur every year in hosting the site, I won’t turn you down.
Either way, I’ll still be here, doing what I do, and ensuring there’s always one place on the internet created by a fellow survivor, not an AI. 😉
If you’re also a photographer, I’d love to follow you on social media. Drop a comment, or hit the social accounts on the photo blog, and we can connect!
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