Answer: Birds
Clues: “Outdoor” and “Chirp”
A new study says going outside and listening to the birds for just 10 minutes can ease your stress.
In A Nutshell
- A study of 106 NC State students found the combination of a restored forest and recorded birdsong produced the lowest stress ratings and the most positive feelings of four settings tested.
- A grey, built-up campus spot paired with traffic noise scored worst on every single measure researchers tracked.
- Both the natural setting and the birdsong contributed their own separate boost, and combining them worked better than either one alone.
- The forest itself mattered more than the birdsong for how “restorative” the experience felt, though birdsong still added a meaningful bump.