The sound of birds singing can be naturally relaxing and comforting to us. One new study finds that birdsongs can help reduce stress, anxiety, and even feelings of paranoia.
Appreciating nature in all its beautiful forms is an important aspect of well-being.
Psychology research is clear about the benefits of spending more time outdoors, including paying more attention to everyday nature such as trees, birds, or even just a rabbit or squirrel running across your lawn.
In today’s world many of us spend a lot of time indoors, staring at our phones and computers, or locked up in an office all day. Days and weeks can go by without us ever connecting with nature in a meaningful way.
People on the internet sometimes jokingly mock others to “touch grass” when they think someone is spending too much time on social media. While this is obviously meant to be a dismissive comment, there is a kernel of truth to it.
We sometimes become so disconnected from nature that we forget that we are a part of it. When you go for a walk outside and take the time to enjoy the sun, trees, and birds, you start to put things into perspective and remind yourself what really matters.
It’s important for everyone to get their “daily dose” of nature. This is especially true for those who live in cities or suburbs which can be lacking in green environments.
This is why I have “Appreciate One Thing in Nature” written down as a mental habit that I’ve been practicing every day for the past few years.
Often I accomplish this task while walking my dog in the morning. I live in an area of Florida where there are a lot of different animals I come across regularly, including many types of birds such as hawks, ospreys, egrets, herons, blue jays, woodpeckers, humming birds, sparrows, parakeets, cranes, storks, vultures, and owls (if I’m awake early enough).
New and ongoing research continues to show how nature can improve our minds, including the power of listening to nature sounds.
The Relaxing Benefits of Nature Sounds and Birdsongs
The sound of nature by itself can be very healing and therapeutic.
One study published in Scientific Reports demonstrated that a variety of nature sounds – including the sound of a running river, ocean waves, or wind through trees – can promote relaxation by deactivating our brain’s fight, flight, or freeze response.
This is why many people like to listen to calming nature sounds when they go to bed or after a long day at work.
A newer study published in the same journal looked into the effects of listening to birds singing. They compared individuals who listened to “birdsongs” vs. “traffic noise” for a short 6 minute period and discovered that those who listened to birds singing reported lower levels of stress, anxiety, and paranoia.
One theory is that birdsongs can be especially relaxing because they often signal to us that our environment is safe and secure, especially from an evolutionary perspective.
When we were hunter-gatherers, birds played a big role in assessing our environment. If a storm is coming (or a large predator), birds will behave a certain way that signals danger is coming (flying away as a group, making noise to warn each other, hiding or being conspicuously silent, etc.)
We are naturally attuned to these cues from our surroundings. So if a large group of birds is just hanging out and chirping, our minds automatically interpret it with some level of safety.
While it’s encouraged to seek nature sounds in the real world, there are many options available to us online. If you search “birds singing” on YouTube you’ll find many lengthy videos you can put on in the background while you work, get chores done, or just relax.
Here’s one excellent example of live bird singing for 3 hours:
The study found that a higher diversity of bird singing was associated with even stronger relaxation effects, so recordings like this can be very effective.
However, my favorite option is to just step outside or go to a local park (or even just open up a window), and practice a quick sound meditation.
In fact, you can close your eyes right now and identify what sounds are currently around you. What do you hear?
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