If there’s one thing that people living in the UK know more than anything else, it’s that you must learn to live with a lot of rain across the year. The further north you live the more rain you will see but given how much we love to talk about the weather we probably couldn’t live without it. So, we decided so show a little appreciation to downpours and showers and have put together 5 reasons why you should love the rain.
You get to stay at home
There’s something about being at home while the rain lashes down outside, making you feel cosier and more secure indoors. Of course, there may be no avoiding the rain if you have to go to work or pick up the kids from school, but if there is the option to stay at home, you can enjoy the sound of the rain on the windows as you tuck up safe and sound.
Responsibilities can’t be avoided, but if you’ve been invited somewhere and aren’t really in the mood to head out, if the skies open up it gives you the perfect reason to stay exactly where you are. There’s also something quite contemplative about rainfall, as it brings a physical change to our surroundings for a while, and you can easily lose yourself in its horizontal mist as it hits the ground. And taking some time out to reflect on things is never a bad thing.
It’s essential for your garden
Plants and flowers love the rain. After rain has fallen, they’ll look lusher, greener and cleaner than they have in a long while. House water helps and does enough to keep your garden in good shape, but without a good amount of rainfall, your greenery would not survive as long as it does.
It all comes down to chemistry, as air has 78% nitrogen, which is essential in keeping your plants looking green and vibrant. Nitrate and ammonium are delivered in rainfall and is happily accepted by roots and leaves. Rainwater is also highly oxygenated which often helps when soil is saturated after a downpour. Important plant micronutrients such as zinc, manganese, copper and iron are usually locked up in local soil but are released after a good bout of rain.
You can recycle and repurpose rainwater
Rain is often thought of as a nuisance to everyday life, getting us wet or stopping us from participating in certain activities. But it isn’t just there to get in our way, and if used correctly, can be beneficial to our everyday lives.
If you’ve never heard of rainwater harvesting, it involves the capturing, filtering, cleansing and repurposing of rain to use around the home. Instead of letting rain run off the roof of your home, down the guttering and into the drain, you can collect it in water storage tanks. In this era of environmental awareness, it gives you the perfect opportunity to become a little more greener at home.
Depending on the system you have installed, harvested rainwater can be used to water the garden, wash the car, flush toilets and wash clothes. Not only that but reusing rainwater can lower water bills (if you are metered) and effluent charges. After your initial investment in a home system, it’s completely free and offers fantastic long-term savings – and requires hardly any maintenance at all.
Lower temperatures are good for the skin
We often hear that long-term exposure to UV rays can damage our skin and our health (and remember, a suntan is actually a result of genetic damage to your cells on the outer layer of skin) but the opposite is true of cold weather.
Moderately cold temperatures can be good for the health of your skin as it constrains the blood vessels. This makes them less prone to swelling and redness as blood flow is increased. Also, your body tends to produce less sebum and oil during the winter, which should mean you have fewer breakouts on the skin.
Rain tends to come more frequently during the colder months of the year (although as we know in the UK it can fall at any moment) so the change in temperature could benefit your complexion. Of course, avoid being out in very low temperatures for extended periods as this could dry out your skin, which leads to other complications.
You can get things done
One of the pitfalls of modern life is that the weekdays are occupied with responsibilities and there never seems like enough time on the weekends to get everything else done. Life can be manic, but when rain starts to fall it’s almost as if Mother Nature is hitting the pause button so we can focus on other activities.
When it rains, you’ll likely stay indoors, which gives you a great opportunity to finally complete DIY tasks that have been nagging you for months or work more on your favourite hobby. Or it might simply mean spending more quality time at home with your other half and/or your kids.
Staying at home on a rainy day can either mean you can relax and do nothing or make the most of the extra time. It all comes down to your personality and how you feel in the moment, so don’t feel too guilty if you decide just to take it easy instead.
