HOW TO Relieve Stress, and Take Control of Your Life Through PHOTOGRAPHY

There are over 5.2 billion smartphone users in the world - that’s over 66% of the planet’s population, who can use their smartphone camera to help them control stress, manage anxiety, and improve their wellbeing right now!

I suppose that if this photo was shot in 1823, they would probably be reading a book

There are literally thousands of YouTube videos, websites, and articles aimed at teaching you the basics of photography. In this blog I will focus on something a little different.

I will instead outline some of the ways in which photography can help you improve your mental, as well as physical health and wellbeing.

The best part is that you already possess all the tools you need to get started. In fact, you're probably reading this blog on that tool right now.

So if you own a smartphone with a functional camera and a half-decent screen, or you prefer to shoot with a traditional camera instead, here are 4 hacks to help you get through the day.

1 - Are you feeling SCATTERED? Then grab a camera to refocus your mind. (Pun intended)

Photography is a fantastic art form which requires you to be completely present in the current moment.

Just the simple act of holding a camera to your eye, encourages you to concentrate on the real world in front of you, instead of the chaotic one inside your own head.

Just like you can't dance without hearing some kind or rhythm; you also cannot capture a great photo without first being able to 'see' what you're looking at.

In Yoga this is called 'finding your centre'.

This ability to see - or centre yourself - requires you to switch off your brain's autopilot for a while, and really read what's all around you.

Where is the light coming from right now? How is it interacting with the environment? Is there anything nearby that I may use as my main subject?

All of these questions rely on your ability to become present in the current moment - if only for a few seconds. However, that is all you need to help you snap out of whatever rabbit hole your mind has decided to travel down.

2 - Are you feeling OVERWHELMED by too much stress and negativity? Use the 5+5 RULE.

All you need to do is block out 5 minutes of your time, and use it to capture 5 images of positive things that you can see around you.

The beauty of this exercise is that your interpretation of what you feel is 'positive' will change as you shoot more things. You will actively begin to 'overwrite' your initial choices with ones that carry more and more positive energy as time goes on.

In those five minutes you will probably end up shooting a dozen or more objects that you think are positive.

However, you will soon realise that your first shots weren't really that positive after all, as they were a reflection of the mood that you were in when you started.

The way this exercise works, is that by actively searching for positive things to photograph, your brain is forced to release serotonin, dopamine and endorphins.

The challenge locks your brain into 'search mode', and the only way it can complete the task in the allotted time is to call upon all of its resources to do it. This means releasing its three main 'happy hormones' to assist.

Once these hormones are in your bloodstream, they will instantly change how you feel for the better - and all it took was five minutes and access to a camera.

3 - Looking for INSPIRATION? Set yourself 'One Word' photographic challenges to activate your prefrontal cortex.

I have touched upon this challenge in my earlier blog - 7 STREET PHOTOGRAPHY Tips If You're STUCK For Ideas. Click the link to check it out.

The challenge is deceptively simple. Just think of one word - Orange, Hat, Light, etc. The list is endless.

Then, only capture photos based on your interpretation of that word. It doesn't have to be literal. It only has to make sense to you.

The beauty of this challenge is that every time you attempt it, you will see that word in a different context, depending on your mood.

There, you have just hacked your brain to become inspired to come up with original ways of interpreting simple things around you.

4 - Losing CONTROL of your life? Grab a camera.

Photography gives you the amazing freedom to literally 'crop out' unnecessary distractions and only see what you choose to see. It lets you become the Director of the world around you.

Don't like the way that lamp post is obscuring the view? Take a few steps to the side and reframe the world until it looks how you want it to.

Too many people in the scene? No problem. Slap on a 9-stop ND filter, set your shutter speed to a minute or two, and make everyone disappear into the ether.

No matter the situation, photography gives you the power to control it. You just need to get a little creative.

This new-found 'control' will begin to bleed into other aspects of you life, and give you the confidence to start seeing your troubles in a way that puts you in charge of them.

Here's a final 'bonus' tip that you can take with you wherever you go - literally!

5 - Need a quick boost of POSITIVITY? Curate a 'Happy Album'.

Make photography all about capturing and collecting photos of scenes, events, and memories that make you feel good. Your pets, children, family, whatever works.

Next, put all of those photos into an album - like you would with music when creating a playlist.

Then, if you find yourself feeling a bit low from time to time, flick through the album for an instant boost of positivity.

This can also work for things that help inspire you; things that help you focus on your goals; or even things that boost your confidence.

Although our response to visual stimuli isn't as fast as it is to smells and sounds, it is still very potent at bringing up memories associated with whatever we're looking at.

This means that seeing something positive for just a split second is usually enough to get us to feel something other than whatever negative emotion we happen to be harbouring at the time.

There is a reason why people hang photos or paintings in rooms where they do most of their thinking. Looking at a photo of a loved one will bring up happy emotions associated with them.

A photo of a recent trip to someplace amazing will help take you back to that place, if only for a moment.

Looking at those 'masterpieces' on your fridge which were drawn by your 5 year-old, will always make you smile.

Take a photo of that, and add it to your 'Happy Album'.

So there you go.

5 hacks to help you improve your mood, reduce stress, and boost your wellbeing.

Did I miss anything obvious? Let me know in the comments below.

If you enjoyed this blog and feel that you got something out of it, please feel free to follow me on Twitter or Instagram; and also subscribe to my newsletter for more in-depth photography tips and tricks.

Happy shooting!