Birdsong and birdwatching boosts mental health

Listening to birdsong or encountering birds in your environment has a positive effect on mental health. In a recent study conducted by academics from King’s College London, it was found that hearing birdsong and encountering wild birds in the environment gave a noticeable boost to an individuals mental health. As a bad mood is not generally conducive to getting work done, this effect is an interesting find, considering it may just take a walk outside to get through a case of writer’s block or a spark of creativity.

“A sample of 1292 participants completed a total of 26,856 ecological momentary assessments between April 2018 and October 2021. Everyday encounters with birdlife were associated with time-lasting improvements in mental wellbeing. These improvements were evident not only in healthy people but also in those with a diagnosis of depression, the most common mental illness across the world. These findings have potential implications for both environmental and wildlife protection and mental healthcare policies. Specific measures, aimed at preserving and increasing everyday encounters with birdlife in urban areas, should be implemented,” as reported by Nature.

The next time you’re stressed out at work or finding yourself unable to get a project done, maybe taking a short break with a walk outside (or maybe even listening to some birdsong on YouTube) is just what is needed.