Mindful Monday - Seizing Joy

“Memories are the only real treasure any human can hope to always hold.” - Gary Jennings, Author

Photograph: An image recorded by a camera.

Attentional Disengagement: The shifting of selective attention from one location to another.

More than one billion photos a day are uploaded to the cloud as millions use Smartphone photography as a method of memory outsourcing. However, research suggests that taking photos actually obstructs recall of those special moments in what is called The Photo-Taking Impairment Effect, where less attention is paid to the moment because the responsibility for “remembering” is offloaded to the technology. Taking a picture harms your memory of that moment. Your camera (Smartphone) may capture a visual perception of the moment, but your memory misses out on the moment all together.

Cameras simply do not compare to what your brain is capable of. Attentional Disengagement (the act of shifting attention from the moment to taking a picture of the moment) is silently robbing victims of their most precious moments in life.

Five Methods for Seizing Joy (Without a Camera)

Be Present - A beautiful sunset, a deer grazing in your backyard, a rainbow. Resist the urge to pick up the phone for a snapshot. Instead, Stop. Watch. Be present. Bask in the joy of the incredible moment.

Gratitude - Do not multitask gratefulness by maneuvering technology to get just the right angle. Gratitude is one of the highest vibrational frequencies. Transmit gratitude and open the door for an abundance of joyful moments.

Focus Each of the Senses - Instead of focusing on the photographic resolution of a potential image, notice the symphony of sounds, the aromas, the taste of the air, and the feeling of the weather on your skin, in addition to and along with the beautiful sight you are beholden to.

Feel - What makes a moment Insta-worthy is the internal emotions that are conjured. Soak in the awareness of your happiness, sadness, and bliss rather than interrupting the trajectory of the mood for a photo opportunity.

Reflect Regularly - Take a few moments daily to reflect upon the special moments, the wonderful trips, the unforgettable experiences. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a fond memory is worth a million.