On mindfulness photography, and how it positively impacts your mental health
There is no substitute for the present moment.
During the darkest days of my depression, photography was the sole activity that brought me any relief.
It helped me concentrate on something other than the maelstrom of thoughts swirling around in my head. The fog would lift, if only for a minute or two.
Most will argue that anyone who engages in activities they enjoy will feel better.
But anxiety and depression know how to suck the life out of your hobbies and interests too.
How had photography resisted the all-enveloping gloom of mental health disorder and become such an important part of my life?
Mindfulness.
Mindfulness is a state of awareness in the present moment that is attentive and non-judgemental.
In a mindful state, we face the bare facts of our existence.
The facts may be that we are tired, stressed or depressed. But we don’t make judgements on those facts.
We simply accept them for what they are.
Acceptance means, among other things, that we stop trying to change things we can’t control.
