Art therapy

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Keep calm and make art – even if you’re bad at it – to relax and de-stress. This is the finding of a new Drexel University study. In the experiment, 39 participants did craftwork for 45 minutes, and had their cortisol levels taken before and after the activity.

They could choose from a range of materials – including markers, paper and modelling clay – and were free to create any work they wished. Researchers found that 75 per cent of participants had lowered stress levels afterwards, even if they had very little experience in handiwork. Go on and unleash your inner Vincent van Gogh!