Happiness.
We’re all looking for it aren’t we? Most of us, if we were honest, would say that all we really want out of this life is to be happy.
And there are all sorts of things we can do to get a happiness hit.
We can hug our loved ones, to get a good dose of oxytocin.
We can indulge in delicious food and drink, and then burn off the calories with some exercise to release some lovely endorphins!
But there are also some slightly more random ways we can get a happiness boost, like this:
Mow the lawn!
It might not seem like an obvious thing to do to feel happier, but stick with me here.
The smell of freshly cut grass is right up there as one of my favourite smells. It’s just so fresh and smells of spring and sunshine and all things good! The smell of it has always made me feel happy, and most people seem to feel the same.
A survey conducted by Harris brushes in 2015 found that the British public voted freshly cut grass as their 3rd favourite smell. Beaten only by freshly baked bread and bacon.
And apparently there could be some science behind why we love the smell so much.
When grass is cut, various chemicals are released into the air that have been found to have stress-relieving properties.
The chemicals work on both the amygdala and the hippocampus, the parts of the brain that deal with emotion and memory. They are also responsible for the endocrine system, which is in charge of releasing stress hormones into our blood stream. It seems that smelling that gorgeous scent of cut grass can regulate those areas of the brain and make us feel calmer and happier.
And the best part is, you don’t have to be the one to cut the grass to get the benefits!
So, sit back and relax while someone else cuts the grass for you, or head to your local park when the mowers are out, and get a nice big happiness boost.
This post has been linked up with Blogger Club UK and KCACOLS.
Spring is welcomed in when the mowers are out. I do like the smell too and can understand why bread was high up too.#BloggerClubUK
The smell of freshly baked bread is just beautiful isn’t it! x
Oh I love the smell of freshly cut grass, it just makes me think of lazy summer days. #bloggerclubuk
It’s such a gorgeous smell isn’t it! x
I got a pushy to mow the lawn with and I sweated and it took ages but I felt so good after (and got toned and fit)…stopped it now tho. Probably should get back into it….I like this post! #KALCOLS
Haha, thank you, hope I’ve inspired you to get the mower back out! x
This is a really interesting post! I really like it, and I also feel like mowing the lawn makes you happy because the gardens tidy! Haha. #KCACOLS
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That is a pretty good reason for it making you feel good too, it does always look tidier once the grass is cut! x
Interesting idea. Unfortunately we don’t have a garden!!!
#KCACOLS
Head to the park instead! They cut the grass outside my son’s school the other day too, and that made the school run just a little bit more cheerful, haha! x
I love the smell of fresh cut grass but hate actually doing the cutting lol xx #kcacols
That’s fine, you don’t have to be the one to cut it to get the benefits! x
That’s very interesting. The smell of bacon and bread are both very nice. Cut grass is great too. But what I find is that the brand new spring grass has a unique scent which I love! It’s not like regular summertime grass. It’s fresher and more fragrant. Smells like spring. #KCACOLS
That’s a good point actually, it does have a distinctive smell doesn’t it. x
We don’t have any grass to cut but there are plenty of surrounding houses that do and the smell always conjures up warm sunny days for me. Unfortunately it also sets my hay fever off if there’s too much of it but it’s still one of my favourite smells, now I know why. Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next Sunday x
Love that you love the smell even though the grass sets off your hayfever! x
I was walking Gatsby, our pooch today and smelled freshly cut lawn and I just grinned from ear to ear. Now I know why! The smell alone took me to summer, and fun and bbq and swimming. All good things. Thanks for this lovely post!
It’s so funny isn’t it, it’s really quite a powerful smell! x