Meaningful Photos

Why You Should Try It

Research suggests that finding greater meaning in life helps people cope with stress and improves their overall health and well-being—it’s what makes life feel worth living. But finding meaning in life can sometimes feel like an elusive task. In our day-to-day lives, it can be easy to lose sight of the big picture—we tend to focus more on the mundane than the deeply meaningful.

Yet research suggests that there are potential sources of meaning all around us, from the moments of connection we share with others, to the beauty of nature, to the work that we do and the things we create. This exercise helps you bring these meaningful things into focus—literally. By having you photograph, then write about, things that are meaningful to you, it encourages you to pay closer attention to the varied sources of meaning in your life, large and small, and reflect on why they are important to you.

Why It Works

Taking time to recognize and appreciate sources of meaning through photography can help make them more tangible and serve as a reminder of what matters most to you. This greater sense of meaning can, in turn, inspire us to pursue important personal goals and give us a sense of strength and purpose when coping with stressful life events. The use of photography might also benefit people who are more visual than verbal—something for therapists, parents, or teachers to keep in mind as they approach conversations about meaning, purpose, and values in life

Evidence That It Works

Steger, M. F, Shim, Y., Barenz, J., & Shin, J. Y. (2013). Through the windows of the soul: A pilot study using photography to enhance meaning in life. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 3, 27-30.

American college students (mostly white and female) were instructed to take 9-12 photographs of things that they felt made their life meaningful; one week later, they viewed and wrote about each photograph. Based on questionnaires, they reported feeling like they had more meaning in their lives, greater life satisfaction, and more positive emotion afterward than they had beforehand.

Zhang, Zhongyue et al. “Understanding and Co-designing Photo-based Reminiscence with Older Adults.” Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction 9 (2024): 1 - 30.

Older adults (exact demographics not specified) participated in interviews and co-design workshops focused on using personal photographs to support reminiscence. Participants shared how they engaged with digital and physical photos to reflect on meaningful life experiences. The study found that photo-based reminiscence helped older adults feel more connected to their identities, memories, and relationships, and informed the design of technologies that better support these reflective practices

Who has tried the practice?

South African adults who did this exercise by posting on Instagram each day for one week immediately showed improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms. They also reported stronger appreciation for others, meaning, and satisfaction with life three months after.

More research is needed to explore whether, and how, the impact of this practice extends to other groups and cultures.

Keep in Mind

One way to adapt this practice is to focus on a specific topic: a particular part of your identity, healing, or life story. For example, you could take photos that provide a glimpse into your everyday routine, support systems, or transformation after trauma. 

Moreover, sharing and discussing your photo journals with others may offer additional benefits. Research found that various groups—including caregivers at a pediatric palliative care center in New York, American psychiatric patients, American women with HIV, survivors of sexual assault, Singaporean patients with psychosis, and Filipino survivors of human trafficking and gender-based violence—increased in feelings of empowerment, social connection, and well-being when they focused on specific traumas in their Meaningful Photos and shared their work in group settings.

Sources

Michael Steger, Ph.D., Colorado State University

References