Mental health is our emotional and psychological world, it easily affects how we think, act or feel. When one has problems with mental health he cannot handle stress, does not realize his full potential, does not work productively, has low energy, and in some cases gains insomnia.
Creative art such as photography helps us to calm our busy minds, it gives us an outlet for our emotions and provides us with a feeling of being able to do something positive and beautiful for ourselves – no matter if it is something big or small. It is well known that photography is a form of self-expression that contributes to one’s ability to maintain and reconstruct a positive identity.
Photography improves your concentration
Photography requires adaptability and concentration which is why many people find it so effective for cultivating good mental health. Many people find motivation here, they train their eyes to find the perfect spot or opportunity, concentrate on the subjects, keen on finding the perfect shot. This allows them to concentrate, express their feelings in a symbolic manner, relieve their preoccupations, escape stress or intense emotions. It is more similar to meditation which in many ways is proven to help people suffering from depression and anxiety. Photography lets us express experiences that are way more difficult to express with words. It also helps when people share their photos via social platforms, or sell photos online in many stock marketplaces. The idea of not being alone and being appreciated for the job you have just done makes you feel loved and not alone.
Portrait photography: how it helps to overcome social anxiety
Find one person you feel comfortable with, it does not matter who he or she is. If you feel comfortable with him and he is willing to help then go ahead and start practicing portraiture. Recreate any style of shot you want, pick a location, set up the lights, think about poses. You may or may not publish these photos later (this is all up to you). All you need is to enjoy the experience, learn different techniques, think about different scenarios and once you have done the first perfect shot, develop the next consistent one.
It can take some time until you create the portrait you imagined in your head, but you will get there. Anxiety awakens because of a lack of experience of performing something, the more you work on yourself the less anxiety you will have. Once you feel comfortable with the person you know you can start taking portraits of people you do not know. How about a friend of a friend? You can offer those people to take photos in the style you are comfortable with, explain to them your scenario, and gradually develop confidence. Sooner or later photography becomes a form of self-expression, it helps to reconstruct relationships with people and vanishes the feeling of isolation.
Connection with surroundings
Photography creates a special bond between humans and the natural world by immersing them fully into the environment, it becomes a vital tool in becoming more attuned to nature.
You can see the environment through the camera lens at different times of the day, at different angles, and with lights and shadows. Lookup for architectural details that have been built centuries ago, point the camera to the tree-tops that host different birds, catch the streaming sunshine through the bushes. This will allow you to notice upper aspects of the environment that you may have been entirely ignoring before.
They say photography is “thinking in moments”. It allows you to connect with a place, think about moments, and “develop a relationship with the place”. These feelings are pure and not disturbing and exactly what you need to overcome your anxiety and improve your mental health.
Relieve yourself with the help of photography
You can certainly use photography as self-therapy, we have already talked about photography relieving the stress and helping to get through the tough times. It helps you to get more confident, organized, and focused. It helps to build courage, interact with people and deal with your negative interactions. Go on a walk and look for the perfect shot. When you go for a walk it helps you lift up your spirit, breathe fresh air, and wind your mind. Find a beautiful spot, a perfect smile, a beautiful kid riding a bike, notice the small things around you. Walk slowly and enjoy the process, reveal the stress you have gathered, simply focus on details. Life is all about details, photography slows the time and makes you go for details. It’s like you stop the time and free your head from the thoughts that disturbed you most.
Conclusion
You don’t always need a physician, psychologist, or therapist, sometimes the best doctor for you is yourself. Think of photography as some kind of medicine for winding your mind and relieving your soul. Do not get fixed on making pretty photos, that’s not the goal now. Photography requires you to think outside of the box, to step outside yourself and your emotions, concentrate on fresh perspectives regardless of your personal circumstances. Want it or not, you have to witness the larger world, a more beautiful world, the one that is seen only by you. Nurture your soul with positive thoughts, express the darkness of your soul, relieve yourself from stress, and help your mental health.