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Mowing the lawn makes you feel good?

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Published on Thursday, February 28, 2013

Mowing the lawn. There are few natural joys in life like inhaling the scent of freshly cut grass. No, really.

Australian researchers have discovered that when grass is cut, it releases chemicals that make people feel happy and relaxed. What's more, it even can help prevent the mental decline of old age.

Dr. Nick Lavidis, a neuroscientist at the University of Queensland, said the scent works directly on the brain, particularly affecting the regions responsible for emotion and memory. These two areas, he said in a news release, "are responsible for the flight or fight response and the endocrine system, which controls the releasing of stress hormones like corticosteroids." The scent and the chemicals of freshly cut grass help regulate those areas.