Look at Photos of Peaceable Moments to Improve Your Mood

Create a folder on your phone of your favorite photos—especially peaceable moments—and look at them when your mood needs a boost.

You’ve landed on one of 28 posts about photography and how to improve your skills. If you’re a creative, blogger, or photography enthusiast, you’ve landed in the right spot!

Caught With My Phone Out in Church

“Whatcha doing?” Pedro whispered.

“Looking at photos,” I whispered back.

“You shouldn’t have your phone out in church,” he said. “It sets a bad example for the students.”

“I know,” I sighed. “I could be reading my Bible app, though.”

He shrugged. “True. Why are you looking at photos?”

“When I get frustrated, looking at peaceable photos calms me down.”

“Oh.”

He understood. We’d spent the first minutes of the sermon wondering why sheep were in the ocean—only to eventually realize the speaker meant ships. My efforts to untangle the speaker’s words and heavy accent left me frustrated on behalf of my students. Not an emotional burden I needed to take on.

And so I turned to my folder of peaceable photos and spent time looking at each one. I could still hear the speaker and follow along (more or less) with what he had to say. But those photos brought calm to my stirred-up emotions.

The Science Behind Peaceable Photos

Dr. Paul Ekman, professor emeritus at the University of California, San Francisco, in an interview with Marianna Pogosyan Ph.D. for Psychology Today says we can regenerate emotions-such as joy or peace—by remembering instances when we felt those emotions.

In order to have a peaceable mood, you can save photos that bring you a sense of calm or peace on your phone. Likewise, you can create another folder for ‘Joy’ and fill it with photos that bring you joy.

If you need to pull out your phone and look at your peaceable or joyful photos during church, or a tense business meeting, do it! Your emotional health depends on you developing your emotional intelligence and understanding when you need to self-regulate.

As an introvert, my galivanting provides an opportunity for me to spend time alone looking for beauty. It recharges me for busy days ahead. As a bonus, I have photos that remind me although I have a busy life, I’ll also have time again to experience peaceable moments in nature.

Your Homework

I’ll share some of my peaceable moments with you. In exchange, I’d love to hear about your favorite peaceable places. Do you have a favorite place you escape to in order find a sense of calm? Have you discovered a favorite place to photograph?

Start ‘Peaceable’ and ‘Joy’ folders on your phone, and fill them with photos you’ve already taken.

Come Back Tomorrow

In tomorrow’s installment of 28 Days Behind the Lens, I’ll talk about the importance of taking time to recuperate.

Do you have a peaceable moments folder on your phone? Here's why you need one! #peaceable #selfcare #write28days Click To Tweet

May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!

Romans 15:13–The Message