Sniffing the scent of rain and the smell of wet earth improves the mood. More: it is a real therapy session against anxiety and stress.
It has happened to anyone, at least once in their life, to find themselves leaving the house just before or just after a storm. Immediately outside the threshold, to hit us with all its strength, there is the scent of rain, the ancient smell of wet earth, and the scent of air saturated with water. It is practically impossible not to stop, smell, and slowly feel invaded by a real sensation of pleasure.
It’s not just a personal impression… the scent of rain is, in fact counted among the 10 “good” perfumes. Smells capable, according to neuroscience experts, of exerting tangible beneficial effects on our psyche. This was also confirmed by the team of researchers from the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at Stony Brook University in New York.
But how (in which way) can smelling the air and the earth soaked in rainwater improve our mood? First, by acting on anxiety and stress levels. The scent of rain could immediately decrease tension.
Rain is… green!
One of the colours dedicated to relaxation is, according to the principles of chromotherapy, green. Green is the spokesman of nature, of the forest, of the meadow. Rain has a very powerful meaning because it quenches and nourishes the green that you can see, that you perceive, it makes it luxuriant, and it amplifies its tone. So much so that, when you walk in the park or in the garden after a storm, every nuance of green is brighter, and more accentuated.
The feeling of refreshment is the strongest and most beneficial effect that rain can have on nature as well as on your mind. By smelling it, you reactivate that green which brings harmony, balance, calm and well-being.
The rain is not sad
The correlation between the sun and positive mood is perhaps one of the most used and most present in our imagination. And rain, on the other hand, is often associated with sadness and melancholy. It’s not exactly like that!
If it is true, in fact, that a sunny day can fill you with energy, it is also true that a storm and the ensuing atmosphere represent a deeply regenerating experience. A nourishment, a way to “wash away” negative thoughts and appropriate a positive and proactive mood.
The rain quenches thirst, its dore is perceived as a rebirth. A real full of endorphins. How to take advantage of it? Surely one of the best ways would be to treat yourself to a simple walk in the greenery in the rain or just after. Even better, after a spring or summer storm.
But you can enjoy the scent of rain, easing stress and tension, even simply by opening the windows or going out onto the balcony and smelling the air filled with well-being and refreshment. Just as if you were a plant too.
