Stuck in traffic, resentful at work, worrying about personal things, tired of the rhythm of the day, or even taking a break somewhere, kind of sunset always manages to stop time a little, offering a little peace in the chaos of everyday life.

This is not just an empirical phenomenon, science now confirms it: sunsets are one of the most beautiful weather events of the day, and they are good for mental health.

According to a study published this year by British scientists, people consider sunrise and sunset to be the most beautiful phenomenon of the day. In fact, they are more awe-inspiring than storms, rainbows, clear blue skies, or spreading firmaments.

Previous research has shown that spending time in nature under clear skies can improve a person’s mental health, but new research suggests that the sight of sunrise or sunset can give an additional impetus to the emotional state someone And this can be achieved not only by a natural phenomenon, but also by a sunset in a work of art or even as a screensaver.

As Alex Smalley, one of the research scientists, points out, awe is traditionally difficult to evoke. However, feelings such as awe can improve mood, increase positive thoughts, and reduce anxiety.

Smalley’s research found that people can “experience this chill of awe, aesthetic value, and beauty when they look at a landscape or a sunset.”

“We, the peoples of the West, detached from the physical world. When you see something huge, something that stuns you and makes you blind and tremble, your problems seem small and you stop worrying about them so much,” he says.

“What you see is the result of many separate events,” says Steve Corfidy, a meteorologist at the University of Oklahoma. “Sunlight hits the first particle it hits in the atmosphere, then that particle shines or reflects the light it receives onto a molecule next to it… And this happens an infinite number of times before the light reaches our eyes.”

“Sunsets are extremely ephemeral. You look at them and they change in minutes,” Korfidi says.

But, as Smalley explains, it is not necessary to see the sunset as it occurs or in its natural setting. In his research, he used digital incentives nature, such as the sunset in the screensaver, to control the emotions of the person who saw it, finding that it had a positive effect on psychology.

As for the best time for admiring the liogera, as Korfidi shows, it is late autumn and winter, when the atmosphere is clearer. A drier or less humid environment, such as the desert, also favors dazzling sunrises or sunsets.

Source: Washington Post.