An unusually long stretch of rainy weather for this time of year.
I imagine many people find rainy days a little gloomy.
But today, I’d like to introduce a wonderful book that might just make you appreciate rainy days a little more!
Rain’s Healing Effects
A few years ago, I happened to pick up a book called How to Spend a Rainy Day by Keiji Minoda at a bookstore.
According to the book, on rainy days, the parasympathetic nervous system becomes more dominant, allowing the body’s energy to be directed toward repair and regeneration.
That makes rainy days a perfect opportunity to recover from the fatigue we accumulate in our everyday lives.
The book also says that because our energy naturally turns inward on rainy days, they can be a good time for studying and reading.
There’s a reason the Japanese saying “seikou, udoku” (farm when it’s sunny, read when it rains) has been around for so long.
Apparently, the sound of rain can also help regulate the autonomic nervous system, making rain feel like a gentle blessing from nature.
I find myself imagining the moisture from the rain soaking into my body and gently soothing each and every cell.
And somehow, I start to feel a little more fond of rainy days.
It’s funny how simply changing the way you look at something can change how you feel about it.
Stay Warm and Make Rainy Days More Comfortable
The book is full of tips for making rainy days more comfortable.
The most important thing is to keep your body warm.
I think the reason getting wet feels so unpleasant is that our bodies don’t like getting cold.
Here are some of the suggestions from the book:
- Bring an extra pair of socks when you go out.
- Eat a good breakfast to warm your body.
- Have some warm drinks.
- Keep your lower abdomen warm.
- Stretch to improve circulation.
- Do rhythmic exercises, such as swinging exercises.
- Take a lukewarm bath for 20–30 minutes.
And so on.
Another thing I’m really glad I invested in is a pair of high-performance waterproof walking shoes.
When I wore rain boots for long periods, my feet would sometimes hurt, or they would get sweaty and then cold.
They probably wouldn’t be enough for extreme downpours like a typhoon, but on an ordinary rainy day, I can walk around quite vigorously without getting wet at all.
Rainy days used to cause a lot of stress because of wet and uncomfortable feet, so getting rid of that problem has made rainy days much more enjoyable.
Question Whether Unpleasant Symptoms Might Be Influenced by Your Expectations
You may have heard the term “weather sensitivity” or “weather-related symptoms.”
It refers to unpleasant symptoms such as headaches and joint pain that can occur in response to changes in the weather.
I sometimes get earaches and headaches when atmospheric pressure drops, too.
When these symptoms actually occur, there’s not much we can do about that.
But lately, I’ve been thinking that our expectations and beliefs may sometimes make symptoms feel stronger.
The other day, I was talking with a friend about the power of our expectations.
If you expect your symptoms to get worse, they actually get worse.
If you expect them to get better, they actually get better.
In an extreme example, I’ve heard that terrifying experiments conducted during wartime demonstrated that simply believing you were going to die could actually lead to death.
The power of suggestion can be frightening…
But we can also turn that idea around and use it to our advantage.
Instead of focusing on rain as a cause of feeling unwell, why not focus more strongly on the positive effects of rain?
The book also says that positive expectations can actually lead to improvements in symptoms.
If that’s the case, why not give positive thinking a try?
Looking for Rain’s Gifts
I’ve realized that rain actually brings us many wonderful things.
Because humidity is higher, the risk of certain infectious illnesses may be lower.
On rainy days, there tends to be less pollen, giving us a chance to breathe a little easier.
Dust and other particles are washed away, refreshing the streets and the air.
Because dust is less likely to float around, rainy days are perfect for cleaning the house.
During dry seasons, the extra moisture can also feel soothing for the throat.
Trains and shops tend to be less crowded, making it more comfortable to go out.
And because my skin gets more hydrated, fine lines become less noticeable, which makes me quietly happy. (Maybe it’s just wishful thinking.)
And so on.
It’s amazing how many good things we can discover simply by shifting our perspective a little.
The book says that the thoughts we repeatedly dwell on become stronger.
Looking for the gifts that rain brings has become a kind of practice for me—a way of learning to notice the positive side of things.
Could this actually be the greatest gift that rain has given me?
Thank you for reading. 😊