A fascinating study done by researchers at the UK’s Open University compared how eating chocolate, sipping an alcoholic drink, watching TV, listening to music, or looking at personal photos affected peoples' moods.
What may surprise you is that listening to music and nibbling chocolate left participants’ moods unchanged and alcohol and television caused only the slightest improvement (1%). But looking through personal photos made people feel 11 % better!
Many people say that when they do scrapbooking, they become immersed in the task, released from their day-to-day worries while they pour over their family’s precious photos. Yes, a scrapbook is a treasured keepsake full of photos and stories, but the activity itself is as enjoyable and beneficial as the end result.
To capture all of the mood lifting benefits of scrapbooking, be sure to:
Make a date with your photos – We will never “find time” or “have time,” we have to schedule the time for things that are important. Attending a monthly workshop or Girls Night In with your photos are great options.
Buddy up – Everything is easier to stick to when we plan to do it with a friend! Similar to the social benefits of quilting bees (which are also enjoying a renewal in popularity), looking through photos and creating scrapbook pages can be an enormously satisfying social activity.
Fire the art critic – I often remind people that are agonizing over an album page that there are no scrapbook police, coming to check your handwriting or make sure all your photos are straight and in perfect chronological order. Plus, with the tools that are available these days to make it quick and easy for you to create beautiful pages, no “art” or “craft” skills are required!
Children LOVE looking at photos of themselves, so spend some quiet time with your kids curled up on the sofa with a family photo album. Seeing photos of themselves, as well as parents, grandparents, siblings and cousins, helps children learn the story of who they are and where they come from. And knowing their place in the world can help a child feel more confident and secure.
The next time you visit with an elderly relative, browse through a photo album together—this is a wonderful way to facilitate communication. Looking at photos together brings a focus to your conversation and often elicits reminiscence and stories.
And since we now know that looking through photos of loved ones can actually improve our moods, you and your loved ones will all leave the visit feeling happier.
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