- Tears – I have shed a few tears this past week, and I wish I had shed more after I read this article. “Is Crying Good for You ?” The article talks about three categories of tears the first two are mostly water, however, “It’s the third category, emotional tears (which flush stress hormones and other toxins out of our system), that potentially offers the most health benefits. Researchers have established that crying releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids, also known as endorphins. These feel-good chemicals help ease both physical and emotional pain. Popular culture, for its part, has always known the value of a good cry as a way to feel better — and maybe even to experience physical pleasure. The millions of people who watched classic tearjerker films such as West Side Story or Titanic (among others) will likely attest to that fact.” Is crying good for you? – Harvard Health. One of the first signs that I have some emotional work to do is when I can’t cry, when my wall is so high that I have become hardened and “strong”. I have been on the cusp this past week, feeling the need to hold it in and be strong. I may just have to watch my favourite tearjerker to get past that. The movie that does it for me every time is “The Notebook”. What is your favourite tearjerker? So go ahead and have a good cry, flush out all the stress and toxins from your body and enjoy the oxytocin and endorphins!
- Rain – Walking in the rain actually has benefits. Here in Alberta where I live we have had a hot dry spring. It started raining yesterday and now it is down to 6 Celsius (43 F) and still raining. (It was 32 Celsius (90 F) just the other day…ah Alberta wait 5 minutes the weather will change). I have always loved the smell of rain, the way it smells just before and after rain has always made me happy. It is called the petrichor effect.That aroma is called petrichor, and if you could bottle it, you could be rich. In simple terms, petrichor describes the smell that results from rain falling on dry soil. It was first scientifically documented in 1964 by Australian researchers, and when you breathe it in, you can’t help but smile and feel a little bit calmer.
So, take a walk in the rain and cry all those tears that need to be shed – you will be much healthier for it!
EXCELLING FROM WITHIN