Transforming Minds Through Nature: A BYU Professor’s Innovative Blend of Positive Psychology and Landscape Photography

Jared Warren merged his passion for landscape photography with a positive psychology program he developed at Brigham Young University to assist students in attaining happiness and aiming for improved mental wellness.

Positive psychology is the study of wellbeing, and photography serves as a medium through which many principles of positive psychology can be articulated, Warren elaborated.

“I was working numerous hours, felt somewhat overwhelmed and lacked balance in my life,” Warren mentioned. “Several events were transpiring simultaneously.”

He started delving into positive psychology resources in 2012, such as Sonja Lyubomirsky’s “The How of Happiness,” and purchased a camera to chronicle his experiences. One morning, he resolved to arise early and visit Bryce Canyon National Park to capture the sunrise, but he nearly missed it due to an unfortunate sequence of events, he explained.

“I’m feeling rather stressed, but I locate this parking spot that would lead to a viewpoint. So, I rush, gather my equipment, dash to the brink of this overlook at Bryce Canyon, and just in time I set up my tripod and camera,” Warren explained. “The sun begins to ascend, and the canyon illuminates in this surreal, indescribably beautiful radiance, and I was astonished.”

In that instant, Warren remarked on some concepts he had been studying in Lyubomirsky’s book regarding flow experiences, facets of mindfulness, cherishing the present moment, and profound gratitude.

“It was as if a switch flipped in my mind where I thought, ‘Alright, I need more of this,’” he stated.

Mindfulness, interconnectedness, flow, gratitude, savoring, and numerous other subjects are included in the curriculum, Warren detailed.

“It’s one of those elements that you can reflect on at any phase of life, particularly knowing he’s done it to assist others in leading a better and more fulfilling life,” former student Nathan Mackey commented. “He was genuinely committed to helping students realize how their mental health could affect their lifestyle.”

Mackey mentioned that Warren shared an incident in class about the hurdles he faced capturing a photo at Delicate Arch.

“It was instructing all of us that there will be challenging moments in life,” he remarked, “but as you sit and genuinely dedicate yourself to something, you can attain what you desire.”

Even when Warren’s drone met with an accident on the side of a mountain, he was still able to see the brighter side of the situation, Mackey added.

“He practices everything he teaches exceptionally well,” Katelyn Jackman stated, a current graduate student at BYU who is part of Warren’s research lab. “He exemplifies what a life lived with the principles of positive psychology can resemble.”

It requires only 20 minutes a day — at minimum — to engage in positive psychology, whether through yoga, a guided meditation application, or finding a cozy spot on the couch, Jackman clarified.

“Mindfulness aids me in becoming more cognizant of when I might be sidetracked or when anxiety could divert my attention from being engaged in my relationships,” she indicated. “When I consistently practice mindfulness, I’m better equipped to dive into tasks and concentrate on what’s at hand.”

To explore more about positive psychology and Warren’s curriculum, visit his website, My Best Self 101. To see more of Warren’s landscape photography, click here.