15 minutes happier: Rainbow Photo Safari

Happiness Exercise #2: Rainbow Photo Safari

When to use: When you’re stuck in a routine that feels like a grind or need new perspective.

Supplies: the outdoors, a camera, comfortable shoes

Instructions: On a 15 minute walk, challenge yourself to snap pictures of:

• Something in each color of the ROY B. GIV rainbow (beginner)
• Things you see in order of the rainbow: find something red before looking for something orange, and so on (intermediate)
• Seven things in each color category over 15 minute walks each day of the week: red on Monday, orange on Tuesday, etc. (expert)

Why it works:

• Taking pictures instead of only noticing the colors around you encourages the mind to shift perceptive
• Being outside in the fresh air engages all your senses, helping increase the likelihood you’ll focus on being in the moment
• Looking for specific colors increases the changes you’ll notice something new about your environment – even if it’s your neighborhood you’ve walked daily. Who knew your neighbor has a purple front door?

Pro-tip: Something that is pink may look red when lined up in order with the other colors of the rainbow, and something almost white can look yellow when between orange and blue. Give yourself leeway to be creative in what “counts” in your rainbow.

 

About 15 minutes happier exercises
Why 15 minutes? Because anyone can find at least 15 minutes in the day for themselves.
Why be happier? Well, why not? To make a business case for this investment of your time, several studies have shown happiness drives success, not the other way around. If we want to succeed in building fulfilling and purpose-driven lives, a good place to start is to make sure we’re doing things to make ourselves happy. Each exercise is designed to be done anywhere and at any time. I like to actually leave my desk for a lunch break a few times a week – not too much to ask! Find 15 minutes in your schedule, and let’s get started. Let me know how your 15 minutes went in the comments – or if you have an idea for a future happiness exercise.

 

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