Dear Stoics,
“Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head…” You probably know this song, or maybe you just started humming it. It was written for the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and the whole sense of it is basically: things are tough now, but happiness is coming soon.
That little piece of trivia brings us to our main topic that is rain. Because summer is almost here, and with it comes a lot of grey skies. (Statistically, summer is the wettest season on our planet!) As it turns out, rain has a very interesting influence on our mood and mental well-being. It’s both good and bad.
Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way first. The reduced sunlight that comes with prolonged rainfall can drag our mood down, and for some people, it might even contribute to something quite serious called Seasonal Affective Disorder. Heavy rainfall is also linked to increased anxiety and depression in people who already struggle with those, and it obviously doesn’t make it easy to get outside or see people.
But the positive side is much more interesting:
The rain changes the air around you in a good way. When raindrops hit surfaces, they release negative ions. This process already has a scientific name - The Lenard effect. Breathing those ions boosts serotonin levels, which means walking in the rain makes you happier!
The calming sound. Rain is a natural white noise. It settles the brain’s amygdala, the part responsible for processing stress and fear. This is why so many people fall asleep more easily when it’s raining. The cozy feeling is actually a neurological process.
A mindful rest. Watching rain captures your attention without overstimulating it, which is pretty rare these days with all the screens, sounds, and lights. That kind of focus reduces mental fatigue and helps with concentration in the long run.
Want to read more about it? Here are some good pieces:
One more thing before you go to read the articles. Don’t forget to check out our On Good Life Collection in the app. It’s our send-off for Mental Health Awareness Month, full of practical ideas for feeling better. And remember, dear Stoics, after the rain, always comes the sun!
Yours truly,
The Stoic App Team
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass… It’s about learning to dance in the rain.
Vivian Greene
Have you ever stopped to think about how much of your personality came from someone else?
Most of us don’t think about it much. But this week, that’s exactly what we’re exploring. Every day through Sunday, you’ll get a journaling prompt to help you look at the people, experiences, and traditions that shaped who you are today.
Who knows, you might learn something unexpected about yourself!
