#35
How photos of nature soothe the mind
It is widely known that green spaces calm the mind. A walk in nature, a park, a tree-lined avenue or some quiet time in a garden or conservatory is very soothing. In addition it has been shown to stop us from ruminating on depressing thoughts (especially common in women) like ‘what’s wrong with me’, ‘why do I keep eating junk-food’, ‘I never feel on top of things’, ‘why aren’t I feeling happier’ etcetera.
Science tells us that looking at photos of nature also has significant beneficial effects. (Note to self maybe all that time cruising National Geographiconline was not such a waste of time but was actually intuitive healing!). Photos of natural subjects help memory, attention and mood.
You might try these things when you next find your mind dwelling on nagging worries, or you just feel in need of a ‘lift’:
- Take breaks in your work day and take a look at some beautiful photos of nature. Try National Geographic, photographic blogs or sign up for instagram. We are inundated with so many words all the time; try the healing power of pictures for a change.
- Re-visit photos you have taken of nature. Perhaps blow a series up and fill a room with them. When Marsha Jacobsen was assigned a job for a year in an office with no windows she filled the walls with her own photos of nature and it worked to lift her mood every day.
- Everyone who has a cell-phone is a photographer these days. How about snapping some photos of your own. As you take the photos notice not only how you engage with nature at a deeper level, but how you are experiencing it in the present moment. It is a form of meditation and mindfulness that we often don’t think of but is highly effective.
