Viewing art for 40 minutes reduced stress as effectively as 5 hours of postwork decompression, according to a study measuring levels of the stress hormone cortisol among London office workers. And a study of people in 30 countries showed that the most popular method for reducing stress was listening to music—ranking just above watching TV and taking a bath. Having sex came in sixteenth, and consulting a psychologist placed last.
Psychology Today, July 19 2009. (via hydeordie) (via youmightfindyourself)
Whenever I’m stressed out I go to the MoMa. My membership has paid for itself many times over through increased productivity.
(via mikehudack)
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Worth noting also, however, is this: “Reading is the best way to relax and even six minutes can be enough to reduce the stress levels by more than two thirds, according to new research… Reading worked best, reducing stress levels by 68 per cent, said cognitive neuropsychologist Dr David Lewis…Subjects only needed to read, silently, for six minutes to slow down the heart rate and ease tension in the muscles, he found. In fact it got subjects to stress levels lower than before they started…Listening to music reduced the levels by 61 per cent, have a cup of tea of coffee lowered them by 54 per cent and taking a walk by 42 per cent.” The Daily Telegraph
(via richardnash)
