Going to art museums is great for your mental health according to research
Going To Museums Is Very Beneficial In Terms Of One’s Health, Visiting art museums is one of the activities enjoyed by many people. Art exhibitions or galleries always have a special attraction for their fans. Then, do you know what benefits we get after visiting museums or art exhibitions for mental health?
Unlike seeing art on the street, or online on the internet, visiting an art museum in person has a greater impact. Here are five benefits of visiting an art museum for human psychological development based on several studies that have been conducted.
5 Benefits of Going to an Art Museum for Mental Health According to Studies
1. Significantly lower stress levels
In 2019, Ter-Kazarian and Luke conducted a study on the psychological benefits of visiting an art museum, using indicators of “stress level”, “arousal level”, and “salivary cortisol”. In the study, they tested 31 local professionals (21 women and 10 men) who visited the Bellevue Arts Museum in Seattle, Washington DC, during their lunch hour.
As a result, their reported stress levels fell by 72 percent, with arousal levels dropping 28 percent. This means, after visiting an art museum, they feel calmer, more stable, and have less anxiety or worry than before.
2. Have a greater sense of life satisfaction
A British non-profit, the Art Fund, released the results of a study in 2018. The study examined the correlation between mental health and museum visits across the UK. About 49 percent of respondents visit museums at least once a year, while only 6 percent visit museums or art galleries on a regular basis.
Those who visited museums regularly (at least once a month) reported higher levels of life satisfaction than people who never did the activity. They also feel that what they do in life is full of useful things.
3. Lowering blood pressure
Another study showed no less surprising results. In 2019, 77 young women were asked to be respondents in a study related to visits to art museums. The indicators used are blood pressure and heart rate rhythm.
As a result, while visiting the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome, Italy, the participants’ systolic blood pressure was reduced. This shows an indication of a decrease in stress levels, because it is known that stress can increase blood pressure. While the condition of their heartbeat seems stable.
4. Trigger positive emotions inside
A study conducted by Katherine Cotter and published in 2021 in The Journal of Positive Psychology, shows results that support the benefits of visiting art museums for one’s mental health.
According to Cotter, one of the most commonly felt benefits is triggering positive emotions in us. In addition, it can help to feel more attached to our lives and experiences.
This can happen because when visiting a museum or art gallery, we seem to enter a high dimension of contemplation. Being in a museum encourages us to reflect on ourselves, the environment we live in, and even wider social life. Art museums can bring our thought processes deeper and more positive.
5. Reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation
Still based on the results of a Cotter study in 2021, visiting art museums can also reduce a person’s sense of loneliness. In fact, according to him, visiting art museums can be an alternative to reduce the feeling of isolation that is currently felt by many modern people.
Going to an art museum can help us feel more connected, either with the work itself or with fellow visitors. We can also build connections there, especially if we go to a special exhibition by a certain artist. We can build a common interest with them.
Through the various studies mentioned above, it can be concluded that visiting art museums has a good impact on our psychology. Starting from reducing stress, increasing life satisfaction, making us self-reflection, to feeling more connected to the surrounding environment.
If you are alone, have you ever been to an art museum? Have you experienced the various benefits as above? If not, there’s nothing wrong with setting a time to visit the art museums around you. This activity can be one way to release fatigue from all the busyness.
