The world is divided between those who love and those who hate the rain; possibly the latter is inclined towards loath because rain causes them to feel drained of energy, tired, sad and sleepy. If you’re one of those, relax, you’re not sick; it’s something completely normal with a scientific explanation.
The sound rain makes when hitting the ground can be very relaxing for many people, but dealing with it outside can be a real pain in the a$%. First of all, we have to wear special clothes; you know, rain boots, raincoats, scarves, jackets, and so on. The rain gets in everyone’s way, and there are many more accidents than usual, both falls and car accidents. Rain creates chaos! But why does this happen?
Pexels: Khoa Võ
Rain exerts some strange energy on us. Some may think, good thing it’s raining! It’ll refill the rivers and lakes, and it will water our crops and plants, but for many, rain makes us feel down. Many of us hate to see the gray skies and are too lazy to get out of bed. Working at home sounds like the best plan in the world; staying warm, no need to shower, getting something warm to eat, and listen to the sound of the rain through your window, but most of the time we don’t have that possibility and getting out to the cold rain becomes hell. Sometimes I feel like I’m wrong not to get happy like in the movies and go out and jump in the puddles. If I’m honest with you, just thinking about it makes me weary.
We should clarify that there is no definite research showing that rain and tiredness are related, but there is clear evidence that the weather affects almost all our senses. However, there’s something called Seasonal Affective Disorder which is a mood disorder that presents symptoms usually during the cold and dark times of the year.
Sunlight stimulates the optic nerve, decreases melatonin production, and increases serotonin, a hormone that keeps us in a great mood; as a result, we are more active. But on days when there is no sunlight, and instead, the sky is gray, the stimulation decreases, causing us to feel sleepy and even sad.
Pexels: Kelly Ritta
We all know the smell of wet soil, don’t we? That characteristic smell is relaxing and even addictive. It makes us feel less stressed. When it stops raining, it smells like ozone, a molecule of three oxygen atoms that reminds us of our freshly washed bedsheets, which means that our brain launches the signals to rest.
The sound of rain is also quite pleasing. Close your eyes and listen to it; you’ll probably fall asleep in a few minutes. The rhythm of the rain is called ‘pink noise’ and since it is in the low-frequency range, it can help you fall asleep and stay relaxed.
What do you say, do you love the rain or hate it because you feel tired and even sad?
Cover photo from Pexels: Anastasiya Lobanovskaya
Translated by María Isabel Carrasco Cara Chards
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