The other day, in the town where I live, I walked on foot through the city center for about 40 minutes.

What an unfortunate choice!

Old buildings stood neglected and deserted , while new, soulless glass structures had been raised next to them — what a sad picture .

One of the parks from my childhood was simply dirty and unkempt : the grass uncut, the trees left wild and uncared for.

I noticed the effect all this had on me — a heaviness, a silent kind of sadness.

And it made me want to write today about the opposite:

The power of beauty.

There’s not enough said about how beauty is therapeutic!

Beautiful things around us — beautiful clothes , beautiful trees , nature itself — change something inside.

Maybe because beauty is often free, people don’t talk about it much. But not always free.

Anyway, beauty heals. Surround yourself with it .

Yes, research shows beauty is deeply therapeutic .

Babies:

Studies reveal that even newborns gaze longer at faces that are more symmetrical — faces that adults tend to perceive as “beautiful.”

They also smile more at faces considered beautiful by adult standards .

This suggests that our sense of beauty isn’t merely taught — it’s wired into us from the very beginning.

Nature:

Research on “nature therapy” (also called “forest bathing” or “green therapy”) shows that time spent in beautiful natural environments lowers cortisol (the stress hormone), reduces anxiety, and improves immune function.

Patients in hospitals recover faster when their windows face trees instead of concrete .

Beautiful objects:

Other studies have found that surrounding ourselves with art , music , or even thoughtful design — in clothing, home decor, or everyday objects — elevates mood, reduces symptoms of depression, and can even enhance cognitive performance.

Why it matters:

Beauty activates the brain’s reward system — the same circuitry involved in love , motivation , and happiness .

It nourishes parts of us that logic alone cannot reach.

A few simple ways to let beauty heal you:

Dress in a way that feels beautiful to you , not just practical. Choose colors, textures, and shapes that make you feel alive.

Notice the beautiful things already around you — a flower blooming at the corner of a street, the pattern of light on a wall, a smile.

Bring beauty into your daily spaces : a favorite cup, a soft scarf, a painting that moves you. Small details matter.

Let yourself enjoy beauty without guilt or explanation . Beauty doesn’t need to be useful to be necessary.

Remember: beauty isn’t a luxury. It’s a way of caring for your inner life .

Beauty is not frivolous. It is medicine for the soul .

Let yourself be nourished by it — every day, in every small way you can .