How art can be good for your health
Mad about Monet, crazy about Klimt and can't get enough of Kandinsky? You might not realise it, but by just looking at works of art, you could be improving both your mental and physical health. In fact, research suggests that spending just 30 minutes in an art gallery once a month could extend your life expectancy by 10 years. One study even found that people over 50 who regularly engaged with art were 31% less likely to die during a 14-year follow-up than peers with no art in their lives.
A fascinating new field of science called ‘neuroaesthetics’ (or neuroarts for short) has
recently burst into the mainstream, with aims to analyse and measure how the arts and aesthetic experiences impact our body, brain and behaviour. As a result, there’s now a growing body of evidence to show that art can radically improve our health in real, measurable ways– so much so that doctors in Belgium, France and Canada are adding 'museotherapy' to their prescription list for patients with anxiety and depression.
Many neuroaesthetics discoveries are being pioneered by The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the US, which boasts an International Arts + Mind Lab, headed up by Susan Magsamen. In her book Your Brain On Art (co-authored by Ivy Ross), Susan says being involved in the arts – whether pictures, drama or music – helps us achieve happier, healthier lives.
In order to maximise the benefits, she recommends 30 to 45 minutes of artistic practice each day. But, she says, people who engage in the arts at least once a week can enjoy lower mental distress, better mental functioning and improved quality of life. In the UK, figures show we made around 10m visits to museums and galleries between January and March this year (up by 11% since last year), but if you’re not a regular, here’s why you should consider heading off to an art gallery this weekend...
Why you should visit an art gallery
Katherine Templar Lewis is a cognitive scientist and co-founder of Kinda Studios, a neuroaesthetic studio and laboratory that specialises in measuring how our brainwaves and nervous system are impacted by different environments. She explains that when you walk into an art gallery, there are a number of mechanisms at play:
Reduced stress
Researchers have consistently found that wandering around a gallery leads to a lowering of cortisol, the stress hormone, slowing your heart rate and your breathing rate, which relaxes your nervous system and leads to improved mood and sense of wellbeing. "This might be happening because you’re taking time out of your busy life to reflect on beautiful images, or because you’re in a quiet, calm, safe space, mingling with other people," says Katherine. "But studies consistently show that visiting an art gallery takes you out of that toxic “fight or flight” state in which we spend so much of our lives."
For self-care
When we all lead busy lives, it can be tricky to give self-care priority. Try labelling your art gallery visit as "high culture", says Katherine; that can be easier to prioritise than something self-indulgent.
To connect with others
Even if you go to an art gallery alone, you’ll inevitably find yourself wandering around the rooms in the company of other people who share your sense of calm and appreciation. Katherine explains that your body will register a social connection with the people around you.
"People tend to move in synchronicity, walking together around exhibits, pausing for similar lengths of time in shared appreciation," she says. "You get a subliminal feeling of connection, which can help to combat the damaging effects of loneliness." This act of socialising, combined with the mental stimulation of assessing and appreciating different works of art, has also been shown to help protect against dementia. According to a study by University College London, adults aged 50 and older who visit museums every few months or more have a lower incidence rate of dementia.
It could boost your mood
Tests have shown that visiting art galleries and museums stimulates neural activity, and increases levels of the 'feelgood’ neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, known for their mood-boosting properties.
"When you look at a beautiful picture, you get a special 'aha' moment, which creates a deeper sense of meaning, temporarily blocking out or suppressing any other negative thoughts that might have been swimming around in your head," explains Katherine. "This allows you to feel – in that moment – that you’re not merely existing in the world, but that you’re 'flourishing' in it by living an enriched life." She says regular positive activation of the mind like this can help to increase the plasticity of the brain (its ability to change), allowing you to grow new pathways that ultimately boost your perception and contribute to "cognitive reserve", which helps protect against dementia.
It triggers a state of awe
For optimal health benefits, a work of art should so impress you that it induces a sense of ‘awe’. This, according to Katherine, is one of the most powerful psychological states. "Scientific assessments have shown that when we feel awe – for instance, when we see an outrageously beautiful view – the process causes a disruption in the brain; people who have been awestruck by a piece of art are often kinder to others and feel more connected to nature, themselves and their emotions," adds Katherine. There’s even evidence that awe may decrease the markers of chronic inflammation, which is linked to many of the diseases associated with ageing.
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