Doing This Simple Activity Could Reduce Your Stress Level by 22%—And You’re Never Going to Guess What It Is

A few months ago, I had a serious bout of post-vacation blues after a trip to Italy. I mean, who wouldn’t? I’d been surrounded by food, beauty and history at every turn for a week and a half—so much so that it either made me gasp out loud or (more than once) made me cry. There’s a word for what I was feeling seeing the Pietà and the Sistine Chapel, exploring the ruins of Pompeii and winding through mazes of white-washed buildings in Puglia: awe.

As it turns out, that awe was actually good for me. Studies show that awe improves our mental and physical health by reducing inflammation, increasing the feel-good neurotransmitter oxytocin, improving mood and fostering a sense of connection. And you don’t have to travel to Italy to experience awe and reap the benefits (though I highly recommend doing so). A 2025 study from researchers at King’s College London has identified a simple activity that can help us feel awe and lower our stress at the same time—in 20 minutes or less. And no, it has nothing to do with meditation, breath work or oodles of exercise.

So what is this awesome stress reliever? Read on to find out. You’re going to be surprised by how easy it is!

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What’s a simple way to get happier and healthier?

Look at art. Yep, that’s it. Strolling around a museum on a weekend afternoon is actually good for our brains and our bodies.

The King’s College London study found that viewing art can decrease our stress in multiple ways: by calming the nervous system, decreasing cortisol levels, redirecting our focus and boosting our mood. Those cortisol levels are particularly noteworthy: They dropped by an average of 22% in people who viewed original paintings by Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and other masters. They also declined in people who looked at reproductions of their artwork, though not as dramatically as those who saw the real things.

Even better? It works for everyone, not just art-history majors. And it doesn’t take long to feel the benefits. In the King’s College London study, participants only had to view the art in approximately 20-minute sessions to bring down stress levels.

What happens in your brain when you view art?

When we’re stressed, our brains are either actively looking for more threats or doing a whole lot of overthinking. But “art can shift that state,” says Elizabeth Mateer, PhD, a neuropsychology fellow at Harvard Medical School who studies the intersection of creativity, psychology and well-being. Imagine your brain relaxing, like it’s letting out a deep sigh. It’s far more scientific than that, but when we see art, we start to reset. “When you look at art, especially something that feels beautiful, surprising, meaningful or even just interesting, your attention is caught,” Mateer says. “You’re no longer locked onto whatever was stressing you out.”

The King’s College London study authors point out that the physiological effect of looking at art is a coordinated response: “Authentic art experiences simultaneously activate autonomic, endocrine and immune systems in a manner conducive to well-being—i.e., stimulating yet restorative, arousing yet calming.”

Here’s how art can work some serious practical magic on your brain.

“Fight or flight” mode switches off

When we’re in a state of chronic stress, our sympathetic nervous system goes into overdrive as it tries to prepare us to fight or flee from danger. No, we aren’t literally being chased by a hungry tiger, but constant stress can make our body and brain feel that way. Looking at art flips a switch. It takes us out of “fight or flight” mode, allows our calming parasympathetic nervous system to take over and ultimately helps us recover from the stress.

“When people engage with art, they subconsciously have slower breathing and a more stable heart rate,” says Simon Faynboym, MD, a psychiatrist, pain-management specialist and senior medical director at Neuro Wellness Spa in Los Angeles who was not associated with the study. “The parasympathetic nervous system is more active.”

The King’s College London study authors described this as a “regulated autonomic state” that’s stimulated but not stressed.

Cortisol and inflammation decrease

The amygdala in the brain is responsible for setting off the “fight or flight” response. It’s also the brain’s fear center. But arousing the parasympathetic nervous system calms the body and makes the amygdala less active. “When there’s less stress and the fear center is less active, the cortisol levels in your body go down,” Dr. Faynboym says. As noted above, the King’s College London study showed a 22% drop in cortisol after looking at original paintings in a museum for about 20 minutes.

That study also found that viewing original art significantly decreased two types of pro-inflammatory cytokines. High levels of cortisol and inflammation weaken immune function and are linked to a slew of health issues, including cardiovascular disease, depression, anxiety and diabetes.

Dopamine is released

The pleasure we get from seeing beautiful artwork creates an emotional response that triggers the release of the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine as part of our brain’s reward system. “If a piece resonates, you may get a small hit of dopamine, which supports motivation and positive engagement,” Mateer says.

Dopamine is involved with learning, memory, motivation, mood and reinforcement. When we do something pleasurable—eat a perfectly baked cookie, buy new shoes, look at paintings in a gallery—that dopamine rush reinforces that it’s something we enjoy and want to do more.

Our attention gets redirected

Looking at art can help us get out of our own heads and refocus on the artwork in front of us. “It allows us to slow down and focus our attention elsewhere,” says Emily Sharp, an art therapist and psychotherapist in New York. “For those who are anxious or stressed in life, this can be a much-needed interruption of rumination, racing thoughts or to-do lists that keep us out of the present moment.”

Plus, it busies your brain with other stimulation, which breaks the rumination cycle. “Your brain recruits networks involved in visual-processing, attention-regulation and meaning-making,” Mateer says. “Awe pulls attention outward and changes what the brain treats as most salient. Instead of being locked onto the same worry, you’re engaging with scale, beauty, complexity or meaning.”

Why does art fill us with wonder and awe?

Art goes beyond just being pretty or provocative. It can create a sense of awe and wonder, not unlike how our jaws drop at a breathtaking mountain vista or a towering centuries-old cathedral. When we’re face-to-face with a world-famous masterpiece, we can see the brushstrokes, imagine the artist creating it and grasp its historical and cultural impact.

“People often describe awe as feeling small in a good way,” Mateer says. “Not insignificant, but placed in perspective against something larger.”

Do you need to visit a museum to reap the rewards?

Research has found that viewing original art in person provides the biggest benefits for our mood and mental health. The King’s College London study authors posited that the gallery experience itself—the architecture, the lighting, the quiet—likely contributes to the effects. But if you can’t get to a museum or you just want a quick mood boost, you can still get that from looking at art online, in a book or even around your own home. The cortisol levels of participants in the King’s College London study who looked at reproductions of artwork dropped by 8%. Yes, that’s less than the 22% drop from viewing original artwork, but it’s still pretty significant.

Many museums have high-quality photos of their collections or virtual gallery tours online, so you can view fine art for free right from your sofa. Here are a few sites to start:

• The Guggenheim, New York City
• The Getty Museum, Los Angeles
• The Louvre, Paris
• Tate Gallery, London
• The Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia
• Google Arts & Culture

What are some other ways to experience art—and awe?

• Take “awe walks”: Take walks where you’re intentionally looking for tiny glimmers of wonder and wow—even in your own neighborhood. You can also do a version of this in your own home, where you observe and appreciate your own artwork, decor and other objects as if you’re strolling through a museum.
• Slow your scroll: Mateer recommends making your social media more intentional by following more artists and museums. “Save pieces you love and revisit them the way you’d revisit a song,” she says. “Give yourself tiny viewing breaks that are not about consumption but about attention: one image, one minute, no multitasking.”
• Enjoy the view: The freeway might be faster, but take the scenic route now and then, Dr. Faynboym suggests. Slow down and take in the sights, or pull over and spend a few minutes at a scenic overlook. You can also appreciate the vastness of nature by enjoying sunrises and sunsets or heading to skygazing spots at night.

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About the experts Simon Faynboym, MD, is a psychiatrist specializing in pain management. He is also the senior medical director of Neuro Wellness Spa in Los Angeles. Emily Sharp, LCAT, ATR-BC, is a board-certified art therapist and licensed psychotherapist in New York. Elizabeth Mateer, PhD, is a neuropsychology fellow at Harvard Medical School studying the intersection of creativity, psychology and well-being.

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Sources:

• Simon Faynboym, MD, psychiatrist and medical director of the Neuro Wellness Spa; interviewed, Jan. 16, 2026
• Emily Sharp, LCAT, ATR-BC, board-certified art therapist; interviewed, Jan. 17, 2026
• Elizabeth Mateer, PhD, neuropsychology fellow at Harvard Medical School; interviewed, Jan. 18, 2026
• Frontiers in Psychology: “Can a Brief Interaction With Online, Digital Art Improve Wellbeing? A Comparative Study of the Impact of Online Art and Culture Presentations on Mood, State-Anxiety, Subjective Wellbeing, and Loneliness”
• Perspectives on Psychological Science: “Awe as a Pathway to Mental and Physical Health”
• Journal of Clinical Medicine: “Immunology of Stress: A Review Article”
• Computers in Human Behavior: “Who benefits from online art viewing, and how: The role of pleasure, meaningfulness, and trait aesthetic responsiveness in computer-based art interventions for well-being”
• Current Biology: “Dopamine”
• National Library of Medicine: “Physiology, Stress Reaction”

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