Birds are good for mental health

Soothing background music for this post:


The WaPo writes:
Why birds and their songs are good for our mental health

Two studies published last year in Scientific Reports said that seeing or hearing birds could be good for our mental well-being.

Research has consistently shown that more contact and interaction with nature are associated with better body and brain health.

Birds appear to be a specific source of these healing benefits. They are almost everywhere and provide a way to connect us to nature. And even if they are hidden in trees or in the underbrush, we can still revel in their songs.

Recent research also suggests that listening to recordings of their songs, even through headphones, can alleviate negative emotions.

By analyzing the data, the researchers found a significant positive association between seeing or hearing birds and improved mental well-being, even when accounting for other possible explanations such as education, occupation, or the presence of greenery and water, which have themselves been associated with positive mental health.

The benefits persisted well beyond the bird encounter. If a participant reported seeing or hearing birds at one point, their mental well-being was higher, on average, hours later even if they did not encounter birds at the next check-in.

By Germaine: The ornithologist

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