The song of the birds brings well-being and serenity. This statement is not only the result of what we can all experience every day, but it is also what emerges from very recent scientific research. In fact, both in people with depression and not, hearing or seeing birds chirping reduces anxiety, sadness and a sense of loneliness. The research was published in the prestigious Scientific Reports journal of the Nature group by a team of scholars from King's College London (Hammoud et al, Scientific Reports, Oct 2022).
The beneficial role of green and blue spaces
From previous studies we already know the beneficial action of natural environments, such as forests, meadows, parks and trees, on our mental well-being and stress reduction. Recently, it has been shown that even open spaces where the blue color prevails, such as the sea, lakes or rivers, have a calming and relaxing action. However, little was known, at least until now, of the effects on the mood of birdsong, something we come into contact with every day, even outside the windows of our home. Precisely to shed light on this aspect, the scientists of King's College London have developed the study we are talking about today.
The benefits of birdsong, the study
Scientists recruited 1292 participants between April 2018 and October 2021, all aged between 16 and 80. Each volunteer was followed for two weeks and was asked to answer a questionnaire that was sent through an app three times a day. The questionnaire asked if it was possible to hear or see birds at that time. Then the state of mind was asked, indicating to specify if the volunteer was calm, relaxed, connected with others and full of energy or, on the contrary, alone, sad, anxious, tired and stressed. The researchers also knew the participants' mental health status, i.e. whether they were diagnosed with depression or not. Well, what emerged from the study is that hearing or seeing birds chirping brings a state of mental well-being that can last up to 8 hours. It is noteworthy that this beneficial effect has been observed in both people with and without depression. Finally, the benefits of birdsong are unrelated to the natural environment, that is, the presence of trees, green areas or streams is not necessary to observe the calming effects of birdsong.
Conclusions
Here is a remedy that cannot be simpler to gain in calm, well-being and relaxation, listening to the song of the birds! For example, we can try to catch this song in the morning as soon as we wake up, to start the day in the best possible way, or during a hard day's work but also, during a walk in nature, we can pause to listen to the sounds that the birds emit, in a way to benefit from both the relaxing action of the trees and of the song of the birds. What if all this is not possible? Well, the Natural Remedies app comes in handy. In fact, in the Relax Area section you can listen to the harmonious and cheerful sound of birdsong to fill up on serenity and well-being.
