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Ways Photography Helps You To Manage Stress And Anxiety

December 17, 2020 By Administrator

By Lucy Wyndham

Amateur photographers David Crook & Judy Crook Vorfeld@ Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix

3 Ways Photography Helps You To Manage Stress And Anxiety

Over 70% of individuals who experience stress and anxiety every day say it affects their lives moderately, according to ADAA. Everyone deals with mental and emotional stress at some point in their lives. It could be work-related stress or life stresses like getting married, divorce, financial problems, and chronic illness. Luckily, you can overcome stress and anxiety if you take time out to refocus and gain a new perspective about life. And there is no better way to do so than engaging in photography.

Photography acts as a distraction that eliminates negative thoughts and helps you change your way of thinking. The moment you stop to capture an image can significantly transform your life because you begin to evaluate your surroundings through a new lens. Besides, you don’t need expert guidance on stress management using a camera. Here’s how photography helps you manage stress and anxiety.

Allows You To Reframe The World

The simple act of taking photographs helps you relieve stress because you can re-imagine your surroundings. This means you can place personal values, interests, and thoughts to reframe the world with what you want to see and feel through photography. In short, you have the freedom to choose what you pay attention to and what you eliminate from the frame. The satisfaction that comes with reframing the world around you creates self-awareness, mindfulness, and positive insights. Nurturing mindfulness improves your mental wellbeing as you’ll start viewing things objectively, instead of jumping to conclusions.

Photos Trigger Emotions

Images have the power to evoke positive and negative emotions. For example, looking at photos that depict happiness makes you cheerful, just like inhaling warm scents reduces cravings for unhealthy snacking. On the other hand, viewing photographs that display sadness triggers negative thoughts and stress. This is because the repetition of the same photos affects how you feel. That’s why you should always focus on photography practices that trigger positive feelings in your mind. Taking pictures of nature, architecture, and anything that uplifts your moods lowers anxiety levels, reduces stress, and makes you feel relaxed, peaceful, love, and compassionate.

Improves Focus And Life Experiences

While therapeutic photography does not require you to take perfect shots, you still need to put your attention outside the mind. Doing so distracts you from thinking about unpleasant events or situations that trigger anxiety. Instead, you focus on viewing things deeply, from a different angle, and connect more with what you hear, feel, and think. Embracing photography as a self-therapy tool also helps enhance life experiences, which evokes happiness. Elements that once seemed ordinary become more meaningful. For instance, a simple rose flower can transform into a breathtaking gift of nature when you capture it on camera as it begins to bloom.

Therapeutic photography entails capturing, evaluating, and using photographs for self-healing, expression, growth, and understanding. Whether you do it consciously or unconsciously, photography enables you to reframe your environment. It also evokes emotions and helps improve focus and everyday experiences. When viewed from different angles, the simple things in life become meaningful.

Complete guide to stress management and time management for students

October 9, 2020 By Administrator

Discovered an excellent document and placed a link on Webgrammar’s Health page. It has applications for many people in addition to students. Take time to read it and I believe you’ll see the value. The Complete guide to stress management and time management for students was written by Emma Carlile:

Emma Carlile has worked in international education for nearly twenty years, working in a variety of roles from teacher to academic manager, managing a range of programmes and academic subjects. She has also worked in welfare, student experience and safeguarding roles. Emma has worked in higher education institutions in France, Russia and the UK and has over a decade of UCAS Counselling experience. Her teaching has ranged from GCSEs to postgraduate level – helping students to develop the necessary skills to thrive at the next stage of learning. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in French and Russian from the University of Exeter, a Master’s degree from the Institute of Education, a PGCE from Canterbury Christchurch University and an MBA from Plymouth University. She is a member of the Society of Education and Training and has presented at various English UK teaching and academic management conferences.

This is a link worth passing on – the wisdom is quite special. Pass it on!

Judy Vorfeld

What are your retirement goals, from large to small? What are you looking forward to most?

September 8, 2020 By Administrator

When most people think of retirement planning, they think about money and how they can be sure that they and their loved ones will be able to remain comfortable post-career. But retirement planning requires a lot more than just solid financials — soon-to-be retirees also need to have a plan for how to stay happy and healthy once they lose the daily routine of a day-to-day job.

To stay socialized, maintain structure and keep depression and anxiety at bay, it’s best to have a thorough idea of what your ideal retirement looks like. What will your hobbies be? Will you move someplace else? Will you travel? Will you spend more time with family and friends?
These printable bucket lists by Annuity.org can help you get a head start on planning your retirement. They’re more than just your standard “wish”-style bucket lists — they’re separated into things like long-term achievements and daily hobbies, travel ideals and skills to develop, etc. Plus, there are seven lists for seven different personalities, so you can find the perfect set of plans for you.

What are your retirement goals, from large to small? What are you looking forward to most?

Note from Judy Vorfeld: This is truly an amazing, creative site. I absolutely love it!

Me? A bully?

July 19, 2020 By Administrator

Note from Judy Vorfeld: this is not a political statement targeting any person: it is merely a composite of some of my thoughts on the excessive use of bullying in today’s restless culture, my part in it all, and my commitment to be a better person.

Ever since the printed word came into existence, it’s been closely followed by the cartoonists of the day: stretching, embellishing, & expanding stereotypes. While most of the “cartoons” spanned snarky to savage, it was a way for a publication to express political opinions.

Today, Social Media’s a huge player in terms of shaping our country’s attitude. And it has, since its inception, allowed us to make fun of political figures. We who are active in Social Media are constantly exposed to (or creating) “snarkiness,” but did you know this often plays a significant part in influencing younger generations?

Sure, many colleges and universities lean in a specific direction and that in itself is concerning. Same with much of our media, nonprofits, and corporations and on and on. But when we openly and regularly, in all our arrogant omniscience, fail to set better standards, we send a powerful message to today’s kids: “It’s okay to be mean. To bully.”

I do not care what kind of ice cream Nancy Pelosi likes. Personally, I go for Breyer’s chocolate peanut butter. I don’t care what or how much she eats or drinks, what she wears, or about anything to do with her teeth. I do pay attention to her political ideas. She’s entitled to them, and I’m entitled to analyze and decide how they fit in my life, if at all. And it’s not my job to worry about Mitch McConnell’s magnified eyes, Ted Cruz’s creative beard, or John Bolton’s magnificent mustache. It’s my job to pay attention to what they say in reference to politics.

I’ve seen the of people who are rioting and getting in the face of authority. Where did their contempt come from? What the heck are they doing? What makes them so easily led? Could they be, at some level, expressing some of our frustration and anger at the way things are today? Perhaps, all too often, they are replicating their elders. Imitating us. If we raised our kids to be kind and never to bully, and write or endorse silly, stupid name calling, what does that make us? I don’t know about you, but it makes me a closet bully, and today I’m coming out.