How the Arts Affect Your Health

Fine arts are an area that people indulged themselves in. From ancient times, people had a passion for music, painting, sports and now these activities have been diversified into designing, fabric painting etc.

Scientists have realized that fine arts had a positive impact on one’s mental and physical health. In fact patients are asked to take up any activity that interests them in order to be rehabilitated. In other words, arts are not only enjoyable, but also have therapeutic effects.

The Effect of Arts on Health

• Arts relax the mind and the body
• It is creative and has a positive impact on the mind
• If the mind and body relaxes, then your blood pressure levels come down
• Stress levels also come down
• Improves well-being
• Reduces anxiety
• Lifts depression
• Activates the mind
• Rejuvenates the body and mind
• Helps in recuperation from an illness

How music affects health?
Music: This activates the brain. It is very therapeutic in nature. It relaxes the whole body as well as the mind. People sing to express their feelings such as love for a person. Air of romance is created by playing music. People in love feel close together by listening to music and feel very much in love. Mothers send their babies off to sleep by singing or playing soft music. Soft, lilting music can calm the nerves.

Music releases such substances which act as brain’s own natural pain-killers. Singing also makes people closer to each other and sense of bonding with each other is felt. It increases the flow of the “bonding hormone”. Also by listening to music, one’s level of molecules goes up, enabling one to fight against infection.

A recent report provided by Finnish scientists indicates that music helps stroke patients to develop focused attention and improve their memory. Music helps reduce depression that occurs after a stroke and also reduces confusion. Stroke patients improve faster in case they sing rather than speak.

How art therapy can improve health?

• Research is on to see how art therapy can help improve health
• It can improve quality of one’s life
• Health status is better
• Coping behaviors are better
• Can improve depression as well as fatigue among cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy
• Prepares children emotionally for any painful medical treatment or procedures they may have to undergo

How writing affects our health?
It is helpful to write about any emotional upheavals or stressful events in one’s life. Expressing one’s feelings and emotions provides much relief from pain and misery. It is also creative and therapeutic. Those who have related a traumatic experience through their writings have better immune functioning, positive mood and lesser illnesses as compared to those who wrote on superficial issues.

In another study conducted on students, it is was evident that those who were into expressive writing showed lesser depression symptoms as compared to those who wrote on daily issues.

The National Institute of Health is conducting further research into expressive writing, how it impacts health etc. as well as the effects other forms of arts.

Arts may not be a substitute to medical help, but they do assist the patients in his or her recovery process. Also they improve the immune system to many illnesses and diseases caused by stress as they are creative in nature.