You don’t need a rainforest—just the birds outside your window.
New research has found that one minute of familiar, local birdsong relieves stress and lifts mood more effectively than exotic tropical soundscapes, suggesting that our mental health may be quietly shaped by the nature we grew up with.
The research, recently published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, was conducted by researchers from several German institutions. Scientists conducted the study to investigate whether it is the diversity in animal sounds that makes people feel better and if it matters that the sounds are familiar or from faraway places.
The researchers played one-minute audio clips of forests to 195 students in Germany, with recordings varying in the number of animal sounds they contained and in whether they were from local forests or from tropical forests far away.
Participants preferred sounds from the local forests rather than nature soundscapes collected from faraway places.
Familiar Is Better Than Exotic
Participants listened to two soundscapes collected from local forests in Germany and recordings from tropical forests in Thailand, where the ecosystem is different.
Listening to local forest sounds generally made participants feel happier, more focused, and less stressed. More familiar sounds were rated as more pleasant and restorative, and evoked stronger feelings of awe than tropical forest sounds.
Researchers also found that hearing more animal sounds boosted feelings of awe only when the sounds came from local forests. When participants believed they heard a greater variety of animals, they felt better overall and less negative.
It’s not just about how many species are out there, senior study author Aletta Bonn, a professor at Friedrich Schiller University Jena, told The Epoch Times. Sounds that remind people of forests they know—such as the birds they hear on a walk close to home—seem to have a much stronger positive effect, she noted. Complex sounds without clear animal sources could sometimes reduce positive feelings.
The researchers controlled for demographic factors but did not find significant differences in responses by age, gender, or ecological knowledge, she said.
The findings carry real-world implications, particularly for people who can’t easily access nature. “If people, due to illness or mobility issues, cannot go outside listening to natural bird song, or if they have little access to green space, using recorded sounds can bring them benefits,” Bonn said.
There are no risks or downsides to relying on virtual or recorded natural sounds for mental health benefits, Dr. Debra Kissen, a clinical psychologist and founder and CEO of Light On Anxiety Treatment Centers, who was not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times. “It takes many tools in the mental health toolbox,” she noted. “And it’s helpful to have easily accessible sounds, as well as to leave room and space in your life for the real thing.”
Personal Connection to Nature is Important
“I believe that a personal connection to nature can be an important part of mental health,” Dr. Nissa Keyashian, board-certified psychiatrist and author of “Practicing Stillness,” and not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times.
Humans and our ancestors have been surrounded by and connected to nature for the vast majority of our existence, and only recently moved into more urban areas, she said. “Being in nature helps us fully ground ourselves in our bodies and the present moment. Both of which are associated with improved mental health.”
However, listening to recorded sounds instead of real soundscapes has drawbacks.
“You can’t breathe in the fresh air, soak in the natural sunlight, and see the beauty surrounding you,” Dr. Vinay Saranga, a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist and founder of Saranga Comprehensive Psychiatry, and not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times. “Recoded soundscapes, while beneficial, just aren’t as immersive and don’t bring about as many mental health benefits as the real thing.”
Nature Sounds Can Provide ‘Meaningful’ Relief
Natural soundscapes are a low-cost, quick, and easy way to support basic mental well-being, Saranga said.
While listening to nature sounds can benefit anyone, he noted, it can be particularly beneficial for people in big cities who don’t have many options for getting into nature or who may have mobility issues that prevent them from getting into real nature.
Nature sounds are a great way to reduce stress and help someone relax, but, he added, they are in no way meant to replace traditional mental health care for people with more significant issues, such as major depression. “They can indeed provide meaningful short-term relief and be used in conjunction with mental health treatment,” Saranga noted, but they just aren’t going to be effective on their own.
Natural soundscapes can support mental well-being in stressful situations, such as the office, or help someone unwind before bedtime, he said. “But I still encourage my patients to get into real nature when they can.”
You have to take a whole day driving to the mountains. “Even just soaking in some natural sunlight for 10 to 15 minutes in the morning, or finding a green space to sit and eat lunch, can be very beneficial,” Saranga said.
Bonn echoed that sentiment.
“Taking time during lunch time or on your way to work, school, or when going shopping to make a detour through a park or some urban greenspace to experience nature is good for your well-being,” she said. “In our study, we could show that listening to bird sounds even for one minute can be a mood booster and alleviate stress.”