From lowering stress to slowing biological aging, research suggests that spending time with art may be one of the simplest ways to support your well-being.
Our health-crazed culture would have us ditching friends in pursuit of a perfect sleep score or jumping through hoops to max out protein intake before ever suggesting we spend time painting the sunset or take a slow walk through a museum.
But the arts might be one of those “secret cheat-codes” people are searching for. From lowering your biological age to decreased cortisol levels, there are countless health benefits to engaging with the arts.
Art’s “Age-Reversing” Power
If you think walking through a museum feels less productive than time spent at the gym, think again. Art can literally lower your biological age!
A study done by The University College London (UCL) analyzed blood samples from over 3,500 adults, tracking their “epigenetic clocks,” or their biological age. What they found was astounding: those who engaged with art weekly had a biological age 1.02 years lower than those who only engage with art once or twice a year. Monthly engagement lowered your age by 0.8 years.
“Engagement” with art was defined from anything as participating in its creation to observation. And the more you engage, the lower your biological clock goes.
The key to unlocking this decreased biological age, then, is consistency. Build museum walks or mini painting sessions into your weekly schedule and start reaping the benefits!
Breaking the Stress Spiral
Aesthetic experiences aren’t just a mental break, they physically slow down the parts of your brain that produce cortisol, the stress hormone. A single visit to a museum can lower cortisol levels by 22%! But what exactly about a museum makes this possible?
The answer is a process museumgoers have coined “slow looking.”
Engaging intentionally with a new piece of artwork for an extended period of time interrupts the brain’s production of cortisol, the stress hormone, breaking you out of a stress spiral while also triggering your brain to release dopamine, the reward hormone. This signals safety to your brain.
Countless other signals like interpreting texture, form, color, rhythm, and balance hit the brain ahead of rational thought, again forcing the brain to slow down.
Simply showing up at a gallery with an open mind and spending time with a few artworks can break you out of a rumination cycle caused by school or work stress. It gives you a physical sanctuary for mind and body in a similar way that meditation does.
A Real Prescription for Well-Being
These physical benefits can have real impacts on your long-term health. Studies have linked reduced risk of dementia, depression, and age-related physical decline to those who engage often with the arts. But, remember, to be impactful, your engagement with the arts must be frequent and consistent.
That doesn’t mean you need to get a BA in Art History or become the next Bob Ross—simply purchase a paint-by-number from the dollar store or finally put together that gallery wall you’ve been thinking about. Even a monthly trip to a museum gets you involved enough.
Your body is craving aesthetic experiences; it’s actually built for them. Susan Magsamen, founder of the International Arts + Mind Lab at John Hopkins University School of Medicine points this out:
“Artists, philosophers, and children have always known the power of the arts. It’s innate and intuitive, yet we’ve marginalized the way we’ve thought about the arts as a form of entertainment. In fact, the science shows we’re neurobiologically wired for these kinds of experiences, and they contribute to our health and well-being.”
So next time you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed— maybe during midterms or finals—remember to add the arts to your list of coping mechanisms. And to fit in engagement anytime you can. Maybe spend your next study session at the MOA!
