With the winter blahs upon us and with the pandemic putting the kybosh on pretty much any travel this year, things can seem glum. One way to boost your mood a little bit and feel more relaxed is to look at past pictures from your travel adventures.
Leading UK behavioral psychologist Jo Hemmings says: “Taking the time to look back on our treasured memories can be truly beneficial for our wellbeing as it can help to evoke feelings of positivity and happiness.” He did some research into looking at old pictures and while for some, it can evoke feelings of sadness, for most, they bring back good memories. Especially when we look at them with the person we went on holiday with or had some great adventure. Research has shown that the place in the home with the most pictures immediately triggers a happier sense of wellbeing and is often the most calm part of the home.
You may even want to pull some pictures that are printed out of an album and make a collage for a wall in your house. Or maybe use one of those large multi-picture frames. Having them in your kitchen or a central place you spend time in can help jog your memory and evoke positive feelings. Laughing at old photos releases endorphins which flood our body and immediately lift us up.
Studies have shown that looking at pictures on our smartphones can even boost us a little and foster connections with friends and family. By focusing on your old travel adventure photos, you may be inspired to start planning your next adventure post-pandemic and even such planning can boost your mood, perhaps even for a few days.
Soon enough, this pandemic will be behind us and new adventures will await us! Maybe it’s time to plan that dream trip you’ve always wanted to take but never quite got around to? Another study even showed that those who travel more often tend to feel happier in life overall. So dig out those photos, grab a hot cup of tea or coffee with your friends or loved ones and boost your mood today!
You might also enjoy this article with 9 tips for planning an adventure getaway.
Author: Alex Hurst is a staff writer for HUM@Nmedia, the parent brand for Silver and Optimyz Magazines based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
