Bird Songs

 

In nature, birds sing and chirp when they feel safe. When birds go silent, it’s an indication that something is wrong.

 

In one study, researchers looked into the effect of sounds played in underground parking structures.

 

 

Researchers added classical instrumental music, bird songs, or nothing to the sounds already present in the parking garage. The researchers then gauged the participants’ responses.

 

Those who heard the bird songs felt a higher sense of perceived safety.

 

This perceived safety can help alleviate stress and anxiety.

 

So—as you might have guessed—there have been many applications for this beyond parking structures.

 

Hospitals have piped in bird songs to help calm patients—particularly chilrdren prior to getting a shot.

 

There’s even an airport—Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport—that uses bird songs to help passengers relax before a flight.

 

Some calming sounds can leave you a bit sleepy.

If you’re trying go to sleep, that’s great!

If you’re trying to study, that’s less than desirable.

Luckily, birds are nature’s alarm clock—

whether its in the form of sweet little bird songs or a less-sweet-sounding rooster.

As a result, our brains naturally associate bird songs with waking up to a bright, sun-shining day.

So, not only will bird songs not lull you into catatonia, bird songs can actually give you a little boost of energy.

Somewhat related to the idea that bird songs can help with energy, researchers have found that students who listened to bird songs after lunch were more focused and alert.

It is thought that this phenomena occurs partially because—unlike many calming sounds—there is little repetition in birds’ chirping.

So, again, bird songs do not have the same hypnotic effect as, for instance, certain calming music.

You can certainly look for bird songs in iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you get your music.

The best place to look is probably YouTube.

You can even search “bird songs for concentration.”

I can’t vouch that such videos are any better or worse for concentration, but it is certainly where I would start.