Many people stay inside on gray, rainy days. Some scientists, however, say we should get outside when it rains to improve our well-being.
When it’s raining, droplets of water hit hard surfaces and break up into smaller droplets. This causes the smaller droplets to become negatively charged, which creates negative ions (tiny particles that have an electric charge, which can be either negative or positive). Negative ions can be created by rain, waterfalls, waves, mist, or morning dew.
Niek Buurma from Cardiff University in the UK said many scientific studies have shown that inhaling those negative ions can make people’s moods more positive, reduce stress levels, and boost energy levels. While the evidence for this effect is strong, scientists aren’t yet sure why it happens.
Rain also washes away dust,…
