Need to Unwind? Study Says Mowing the Lawn Will Calm You Down, Boost Your Memory

Had a particularly stressful day at work? Go home and mow your lawn.

Scientists have found that a chemical released by freshly cut grass makes people feel content, London’s Daily Mail reported.

As an added bonus: That same chemical also boosts memory in old age.

The researchers, who worked at the University of Queensland, Brisbane in Australia, even put their findings in a bottle – a perfume called Serenascent.

Dr. Nick Lavidis, a neuroscientist at the University of Queensland said he got the idea for the “perfume” or air freshner, after he vacationed at Yosemite National Park.

“I didn’t realize it at the time, that it was the actual combination of feel-good chemicals released by the pine trees, lush vegetation and the cut grass that made me feel so relaxed,” Lavidis said. “Years later, my neighbor commented on the wonderful smell of cut grass after I had mowed the lawn, and it all started to click into place.”

Lavidis said the aroma regulates the part of the brain known as the amygdala and the hippocampus, which are responsible for the flight or fight response and the endocrine system, respectively.

Click here to read more on this story from the Daily Mail.