The art of feeling good: how museums can boost your wellbeing

These days we are bombarded with high tech advice on every aspect of wellness but, it turns out, there could be a very low tech way to reduce your stress hormones and protect your health and wellbeing: visit an art gallery. “Museums and galleries offer so many things,” says Jenny Waldman, director of Art Fund, the national charity for museums and galleries and the membership organisation for National Art Pass. “Now, we have evidence that it can also have a positive effect on our health and wellbeing. That feels like a wonderful reason to make more time in our lives to visit them.” Researchers from King’s College London coordinated a first-of-its-kind study, co-funded by Art Fund and the Psychiatry Research Trust, in which 50 participants viewed works by Manet, Van Gogh and Gauguin in London’s Courtauld Gallery and looked at reproductions of the same paintings outside a gallery setting. “Our research found that viewing original art in a gallery can have immediate, measurable effects on the body, including a 22% average drop in cortisol, a key stress hormone [against 8% for those looking at reproductions elsewhere],” says Waldman. “Our research with King’s College London provides some of the strongest evidence yet of the physiological response to experiencing original art in a gallery.” In addition, two inflammatory cytokines, linked to stress and a number of chronic diseases, dropped by 30% and 28% respectively among the gallery visitors, while the control group showed no change. “What surprised us was that something so ordinary and pleasurable could produce measurable changes across several biological systems in such a short period of time,” says Dr Tony Woods, a researcher at King’s College London and one of the study’s authors. He adds that the “really interesting finding was that people in the gallery didn’t simply switch off and become physiologically quiet. Their bodies remained responsive to what they were seeing.” In fact, data from wearable devices showed a slightly faster average heart rate, more dynamic patterns of heart-rate variability and brief drops in skin temperature as people moved through the gallery. At the same time, cortisol and inflammatory markers were falling. “I would describe the state as ‘engaged but regulated’: the art appeared able to capture and arouse people while, at the same time, the broader stress response was being turned down,” Woods says. “That combination is much more interesting than simply saying that looking at art relaxes you.” These findings align with other research. In 2019, a report from UCL (University College London), published in the BMJ (British Medical Journal), which tracked 6,710 adults aged 50+ for 14 years, found that those who went to museums, galleries, exhibitions, concerts or the theatre frequently had a 31% lower risk of dying during that period than those who never did. Separate analysis of part of the same cohort, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, found that cultural engagement once a month or more was associated with a 48% lower risk of developing depression over 10 years. Here’s how to bring more museums into your life: Go with an open mind “You don’t need to understand the history of an artwork or know anything about the artist. Just notice what you’re drawn to, what makes you curious or how a particular work makes you feel,” says Waldman. “Art is for everyone. You don’t need an art history degree to enjoy a museum or gallery, and there’s no right or wrong way to respond to a work of art.” Just 60 minutes makes a difference A report launched recently by Art Fund identified a “Recommended dose of art” that we should aim to take in order to reap the health benefits. Written in partnership with Prof Daisy Fancourt, professor of psychobiology and epidemiology at University College London, the report says that 60 minutes a month of engaging with art in a museum or gallery is all that is needed to feel the impacts, which range from reduced loneliness to lower stress. Fancourt says: “Guidelines like eating our five-a-day and getting in our 10,000 steps have proven effective. Adding regular arts engagement to this list could be a simple and joyful way of investing further in our health and wellbeing.” Take your time Instead of trying to race around the whole gallery, pick a few pieces to concentrate on. “When you stop and look properly, you begin to notice things that weren’t apparent in the first few seconds, and that process of sustained attention may well be part of what makes the gallery experience so different from scrolling past hundreds of images on a screen,” Woods says. Several institutions, including Tate, run guided slow-looking sessions, and Slow Art Day, held each April, organises free events at venues worldwide. There’s also plenty of helpful advice in Art Fund’s Mindful Museum Guide by culture and wellbeing consultant Louise Thompson. Go with others Cultural outings offer a structured way to spend time with people. “A gallery is an unusually good setting for combining cultural engagement with social connection. You look at something together, discover that somebody else has seen something completely different, and start talking,” Woods says. Take your kids too. “Museums absolutely are places for children as much as for adults,” Waldman says. “Museums and galleries spark creativity and imagination, support children’s development and open up new ideas and experiences.” Art Fund’s website has information for special family events and kid-friendly museums. The National Art Pass offers the opportunity for others to enjoy the same visiting benefits with membership add ons. With Plus One, you can bring a different guest on every museum visit, while Plus Kids means you can bring any children in your family under the age of 16 with your membership – perfect for family days out. Look locally Checking out what is on locally can make regular art-viewing logistically easier. Alongside traditional galleries and museums, it’s worth exploring open studio weekends, which often give you the chance to meet artists and see work in progress. Check out local listings, council arts pages and Art Fund’s website, which has an interactive map to help discover museums and galleries near to you (at home, or even if you’re on holiday). Put it in the diary The UCL study showed benefits for people who engaged in the arts every now and then, but the largest effects were among those enjoying monthly outings. “It raises the intriguing possibility that small cultural experiences repeated regularly may matter more than the occasional cultural blow-out,” Woods says. Treating a visit as a fixed appointment can make it more likely to happen. Many London national museums offer monthly lates to make the most of evenings after work. It’s a great opportunity to visit exhibitions at the British Museum, V&A South Kensington, Tate Modern and National Portrait Gallery. All of which offer half-price entry to their exhibitions with a National Art Pass. Get a National Art Pass Cost can feel a barrier, but with a National Art Pass, you can enjoy free and discounted entry to more than 450 museums, galleries and historic places across the UK, as well as 50% off major exhibitions. “We also offer the Teacher Art Pass and Student Art Pass,” adds Waldman, “to encourage the next generation to make visiting museums part of their everyday lives.” By purchasing a National Art Pass you are donating to Art Fund and supporting museums and galleries across the UK. The National Art Pass offers free or discounted entry to hundreds of museums, galleries and historic places across the UK, as well as 50% off major exhibitions. Get your pass today