More Photography, Less Stress

Today, the American Psychological Association (APA) released the latest findings from their annual Stress in America™: Our Health at Risk survey.

The 2011 survey data revealed that respondents are reporting they feel less stressed, but the connection between stress and chronic diseases, such as obesity and heart disease, is deepening.

How do we reverse this trend? According to APA, we need to integrate behavioral health care into our daily lives, as well as adopt healthier behaviors to reduce and manage our stress.

Personally, I think landscape photography is a fantastic stress reliever and works well for me when I make the time to do it. Photography gets me outdoors and active. Most nature locations require a lot of walking, and at times, even hiking. When my mother visited Washington, DC last year, I wore her out from all the walking around.

To counterbalance the stress that life brings, I need to schedule more photo excursions into my 2012 calendar and go back to planning a photo trip or visit every weekend as I used to when I first launched this blog. Even if it means walking around my neighborhood with my camera and photographing interesting sites, it's worth the time and will make this new year a little less stressful and improve my overall wellness.