Savannah, GA, April 30, 2020 – Vivid-Pix, www.vivid-pix.com, is celebrating NationalMental Health Month and National Photography Month in May by showcasing the healing power of photos and Vivid-Pix RESTORE photo restoration software to enhance “Reminiscence Therapy.” According to the National Institutes of Health, “Reminiscence Therapy (RT) involves the discussion of past activities, events and experiences with another person or group of people, usually with the aid of tangible prompts, such as photographs, household and other familiar items from the past, music, and archive sound recordings.” To help combat COVID-19 quarantine stress, loneliness and isolation, Vivid-Pix will be hosting Mental Health Month and Photography Month classes and specials throughout May. These free and low-cost classes include dementia, Alzheimer’s, photo organization, photo restoration, and genealogy — available at: www.vivid-pix.com/education. In addition, during the month of May, a 20% discount is available on Vivid-Pix RESTORE software when using this special offer: www.vivid-pix.com/reminisce.
Value of Pictures to Reduce Stress
Ever look at a photo prompting a memory and a smile to flash across your mind and face? It’s a physiological reaction. When looking at photos, cortisol levels are lowered, and this reduces stress. According to WebMD, the hormone cortisol manages the body’s stress levels. If you’re constantly under stress, cortisol can derail your body’s most important functions, leading to health problems, including anxiety and depression. With the psychological impact of social distancing, missing holidays with loved ones, isolation, fear of sickness, and financial issues from closures, reminiscing about cherished memories is more important than ever.
Experts Use Photography Reminiscence Therapy to Help Depression, Dementia, & Alzheimer’s
Experts have been using Reminiscence Therapy for years to help depression, dementia, and Alzheimer’s. As reported by NPR, “Researchers find that dementia patients who engage in activities such as gathering photographs and talking about family see improvements in their quality of life and are less agitated,” said Shirley Wang, NPR.
Europe-based Researchgate reported that Reminiscence Therapy is an effective way to increase self-esteem and decrease behavioral disturbances in those with dementia, and their research proved that photography was the best therapy. “Eighty percent of the subjects (12 out of 15) showed more attention to their personalised reminiscence photo video than to the other two types of TV shows, thus suggesting the effectiveness of personalised reminiscence photo videos for reminiscence intervention.”
Taking a daily photo also improved well-being through self-care, community interaction, and the potential for reminiscence. According to ScienceDaily.com, U.K. researchers said it’s “an active process of meaning making, in which a new conceptualisation of wellbeing emerges.” “[If] I’m ever feeling down or something, it’s nice to be able to scroll back and see good memories. You know, the photos I’ve taken will have a positive memory attached to it even if it’s something as simple as I had a really lovely half an hour for lunch sitting outside and was feeling really relaxed,” said a study participant.
Vivid-Pix helps people relive photos and documents by connecting/re-connecting photos with their most treasured memories and their roots. “At this time of social isolation, the benefits of reliving cherished memories are greater than ever. Study after study highlight the emotional, mental and physical health benefits that looking at photos provide to the young and old alike,” said Rick Voight, CEO of Vivid-Pix. “So, if you want to reduce stress, pull out your photo albums!”
Vivid-Pix Photo & Genealogy Education Bring Back Memories
In addition to many free classes, fee-based classes are streamed live, recorded, and posted to Vimeo for $1.99 (30-day rental). Recordings will be uploaded within one or two days after live events. Vivid-Pix’s online Genealogy Classes are held at 8 PM ET at: https://vivid-pix.com/education and are also available on demand. The schedule can be found below:
Vivid-Pix Upcoming Photography/Genealogy Shows:
| 5/1/2020 | Katherine Schober | German Church Records |
| 5/5/2020 | Kirsty Gray | British Genealogy |
| 5/8/2020 | Diahan Southard | 3 Tips For Your DNA Test |
| 5/12/2020 | Peggy Lauritzen | Migration Trails to Ohio |
| 5/15/2020 | Amie Tennant | State Census Records |
| 5/19/2020 | Rick Voight | Restoring Old Photos and Documents |
| 5/22/2020 | Maureen Taylor | Photo Organization |
Previous Vivid-Pix/Education April Shows Available for Streaming:
| Katherine Willson | Genealogy on Facebook |
| Dear Myrtle | Zoom Conferencing |
| Judy Russell | The Law and a Reasonably Exhaustive Search |
| Kenyatta Berry | African American Genealogy |
| Miya Jensen | Polynesian and Pacific Isles Genealogy |
| David Ryan | Irish Genealogy |
| Blaine Bettinger | Genetic Genealogy |
| Rich Venezia | Immigration Records |
About Vivid-Pix
The one-stop solution for family historians, genealogists and hobbyists, Vivid-Pix RESTORE patented artificial intelligence software automatically restores old, faded sepia, black and white, and color photographs and documents and provides image organization, editing, and searchable IPTC and EXIF compliant metadata tagging. The U.S. Patent Office has awarded a patent to Vivid-Pix for its image processing techniques used to automatically correct faded images. Vivid-Pix RESTORE is available for Mac and Windows for $49.99 at: https://vivid-pix.com/restore/buy.html, with a no-credit-card-required free trial at: https://vivid-pix.com/restore/free-trial.html. For more information, see the website at: https://vivid-pix.com/.
Vivid-Pix was founded by Rick Voight and Randy Fredlund, who have a combined 47 years of experience from Eastman Kodak Co. They brought Kodak’s “You Press the Button, We Do the Rest” philosophy to the design of Vivid-Pix RESTORE. For more info, see the website: https://vivid-pix.com/.
