Spring is a good season for bird watching! Research in the UK found that bird watching or listening to birdsong can not only help people maintain their mental health, but the effect can last up to eight hours.
London, UK (Merxwire) – Spring is coming; are you ready for a nature trip? Bird watching in lush green surroundings! According to the latest report from the United States, nearly 1 in 10 people in the United States had symptoms of depression in 2020. Some people rely on drugs to control their anxiety, and some use exercise to relieve stress. However, now you have a new Choice. A recent study in the UK found that bird watching or listening to birdsong can help people maintain their mental health.
A study from King’s College London has found that seeing or hearing birds is linked to improved mental health. The study, published in Scientific Reports, used the “Urban Mind” mobile app to collect data on people’s mental health when they saw or heard birdsong. Instant profiles of people’s mental health and their experiences seeing or hearing birds.
The study was conducted between April 2018 and October 2021, with 1,292 participants from the United States and Europe conducting a randomized online experiment. The app asked subjects three times a day if they could see or hear birds and then asked the subjects to answer questions about mental health, allowing the researchers to draw associations between the two and to analyze and estimate such associations.
The study also collected information on the subjects’ mental health status to compare the differences before and after the experiment. It was found that people with both depression and mental health were associated with improved mental health after hearing or seeing birds.
The researchers believe this is because birdsong distracts people from stress. Because birds live in lush natural environments, the closer people get to nature, the better the mental health benefits. Especially when there is depression, if you can take a walk outdoors and enjoy the fragrance of birds and flowers in the natural environment, your mental and psychological state can also be improved.
In addition, the researchers specifically proposed the term “ecosystem services”; maintaining the natural ecological environment is a part of environmental protection and is closely related to our mental health. According to the “State of the World’s Birds,” 10 billion trees are destroyed every year in the world, 1 in 8 bird species is facing a global extinction crisis, and the world’s birds are facing a significant problem! The research supports the provision of bird biodiversity spaces to increase people’s chances of encountering birds, especially for those suffering from mental health issues such as depression.
Who has not listened to the beautiful melody of insects and birds in spring? Regardless of our mood, this multi-sensory experience enriches our daily lives and rejuvenates our bodies and mind. The next time you hear the cheerful chirping of birds, you should stop and listen and enjoy nature’s healing nature.