Why A Bit Of Rain Shouldn't Stop You Getting Outside This Weekend
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Just as we were getting into the swing of socially distanced meet-ups in parks and gardens, the June sun disappeared and the heavens opened.
Boris Johnson has already urged members of the public to avoid going inside if they get caught in the rain with members of another household. “We relaxed the rules on meeting outside for a very specific reason, because the evidence shows that the risks of transmission are much lower outdoors,” he said in Wednesday’s Downing Street briefing.
So with more dreary weather coming up, should you cancel your (safe) social plans altogether? Absolutely not, we say – it’s time to embrace the rain.
READ MORE:
Instead of perceiving a rainy day as disappointing, why not see it as a chance to practise mindfulness?
As Ian Banyard, founder of Cotswold Natural Mindfulness, told the New York Times: “The human body is largely made of water, and yet so many of us feel uncomfortable walking in the rain and getting wet. That need not be the case. Walking mindfully in the rain is a wonderful opportunity to get closer to nature, and our true nature.”
Pause a conversation with pals to listen to the sound of rain trickling down a drainpipe, welcome the freshness of droplets touching skin, and inhale the delicious scent of water meeting earth.
Rain taps into each of our senses, making it the perfect weather to get us out of our heads and into the present moment – something that’s been proven to boost mental health. “Mindfulness meditation has been shown to affect how the brain works and even its structure,” states the Mental Health Foundation.
“People undertaking mindfulness training have shown increased activity in the area of the brain associated...
