Its no surprise that many Americans are experiencing ongoing stressors of political anxiety, economic worries and a sense of social instability. The American Psychological Association reported that 77% of American adults say that a major source of stress is their concern about "the future of the nation." And chronic stress is linked to heart disease, stroke and increased mortality. Today's stressors accumulate and can produce unwanted health outcomes years or decades later.
The wheels of longterm resolutions for political stress may turn slower than we'd like, but there are more immediate solutions. Choosing holiday gifts for loved ones that enhance creativity can lower the stress hormone cortisol as well as increase feel-good endorphins, dopamine, and oxytocin, which all provide increased resilience to stress.
Now that's one-stop shopping!
Creativity and art reduce stress and promote wellbeing
Imaging studies and follow-ups from Drexel researchers show that art-making activates the brain's reward pathways (areas tied to dopamine and positive affect), consistent with reports of increased wellbeing after art activities.
Neurobiological reviews show that artistic engagement activates reward and emotion-regulation circuits and is associated with release/modulation of neurochemicals (dopamine, endorphins, oxytocin) linked to pleasure, calm, and social bonding.
Studies show that a 45-minute session of visual art-making produced a significant reduction in salivary cortisol in healthy adults.
Creative, art-related holiday gifts can help exacerbate the effects of political anxiety and daily stress. Not only that, the arts themselves have been under attack lately, so supporting the arts is its own brand of resistance.
What better gift is there?
Below are a few suggestions, and be sure to include yourself on your gift recipient list!
Art-o-mat
Find an Art-o-mat machine and give a gift of original art while you support an artist, all for just 5 bucks! It's a win-win.
Art-o-mat machines are retired cigarette vending machines that have been repurposed to vend original art, including mini paintings, sculptures, jewelry and more. There are over 200 active machines in various locations with over 300 contributing artists from five countries.
I discovered my first one at Reynolda House Museum of American Art in Salem, NC.
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