Mindful-Rainbow Walk

This Art At Home Activity is a simple yet effective way to take a break during your day and get some movement. On this walk, you will observe your neighborhood in a new light, taking in all the colors you see and creating a radiant portfolio of photographs.

You can take this walk whenever you feel like you need to hit the reset button. This activity helps to refocus your attention on simply noticing the beautiful nature surrounding you while moving your body in a calming way. Walking helps to eliminate cortisal which leads to decreased stress and anxiety; the motion works by sparking nerve cells in the brain causing them to relax all senses.

Spend as much time as you desire on your walk taking photographs in rainbow order of all the objects you notice. Start by focusing on the color red, finding all the stop signs, red roses, car lights, and other red things you can see. When you are ready, move on to finding orange objects. Continue until you have found objects of every color of the rainbow.

To take interesting photographs, focus on taking pictures of objects with interesting textures, patterns, and compositions. You can play around with the size of your images by zooming in or out on the objects.

Learn more about the positive impacts of walking here:

Keep Calm and Walk On - UCLA Health

“Anything that gets you moving helps your mind. Regular movement, like walking, eliminates cortisol (the stress hormone) from your system, thus reducing worry and anxiety. Walking calms you down by sparking nerve cells in the brain that relax the senses. Studies show walking also alleviates mood, wiping out negative thoughts, and energizing your spirits.”