Watching birds near your home is good for your mental health

Last Updated: 23 Feb 2020
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People living in neighborhoods with more birds, shrubs and trees are less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and stress.

 

24 February 2017—The study, involving hundreds of people, found benefits for mental health of being able to see birds, shrubs and trees around the home, whether people lived in urban or more leafy suburban neighborhoods.

The study, which surveyed mental health in over 270 people from different ages, incomes and ethnicities, also found that those who spent less time out of doors than usual in the previous week were more likely to report they were anxious or depressed.

After conducting extensive surveys of the number of birds in the morning and afternoon in Milton Keynes, Bedford and Luton, the study found that lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress were associated with the number of birds people could see in the afternoon. The academics studied afternoon bird numbers – which tend to be lower than birds generally seen in the morning – because they are more in keeping with the number of birds that people are likely to see in their neighborhood on a daily basis.

In the study, common types of birds including blackbirds, robins, blue tits and crows were seen. But the study did not find a relationship between the species of birds and mental health, but rather the number of birds they could see from their windows, in the garden or in their neighborhood.

Previous studies have found that the ability of most people to identify different species is low (eg Dallimer et al, 2012), suggesting that for most people it is interacting with birds, not just specific birds, that provides well-being.

University of Exeter research fellow Dr Daniel Cox, who led the study, said: “This study starts to unpick the role that some key components of nature play for our mental well-being”.

Birds around the home, and nature in general, show great promise in preventative health care, making cities healthier, happier places to live”.

The positive association between birds, shrubs and trees and better mental health applied, even after controlling for variation in neighbourhood deprivation, household income, age and a wide range of other socio-demographic factors.

Recent research by Dr Cox and Professor Kevin Gaston, who are based at the Environmental Sustainability Institute at the Penryn Campus at the University of Exeter, found that watching birds makes people feel relaxed and connected to nature (Cox and Gaston, 2016).

The research is published in the journal Bioscience and was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council as conducted as part of the Fragments, Functions, Flows and Ecosystem Services project.

 

Source: University of Exeter

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7 Comments
  1. Well Kim I must say that is a lot to be going through and I can only imagine your pain. I highly suggest going to the doctor for the hep c before it gets worse. I don’t know much about it but have seen commercials and it seems like it only gets worse and I highly suggest seeing a psychiatrist who is a trained professional who can listen to what is going on and what has happened to you and recommend the best treatment for you. Medication I’m sure will be a start and as much as people hate to hear maybe even a facility where we can heal for a bit. People are here to help us in these places, not hurt us. I understand your lack of trust here. You’ve been hurt deeply and also during a time where you were already deeply hurt. I believe therapy would also be a huge help. And also God in your life. Jesus is a healer and without him and the help of my psychiatrist and therapist and my husband I would not be where I am today. There are crisis hotlines as well. I would suggest calling them as well so you have the availability to talk to someone whenever you need to. Concentrate now on getting yourself well with all these avenues of help. I have not been in your shoes and can not say I know exactly how you fell but can only imagine the pain and hurt and distrust. I realize all these things will take time to heal. Be easy on yourself and follow the doctors orders. Don’t be afraid to take the help and the medication. I wish there was something magical I could say to you to make it all go away for you. I can just hear the pain in your comment. It’s not too late. You will not lose yourself completely if you reach out and get the help you need. I do not know if you are religious in any way but i also suggest reaching out to a priest or pastor. Try right now, which I know may be difficult, of just putting your attention on beautiful things. Something in your life that was amazing, an accomplishment you made or something beautiful, or something very funny that either you or someone else did and laugh if you can. And focus on your future. Just know that if you reach out for the help I suggested, you will get better and you can look very forward to a brighter future of comfort and beauty. It will take time for the pain to go away and I have learned thru pain that it comes in different forms and can go back and forth from anger to depression to many other forms of emotional feelings. I learned this in bereavement courses. I will pray for you and if you want to comment on anything I have said please feel free to do so. I wish you the best and I believe you can do this. All in time and work. Thanks for sharing your story

  2. My name is Kim and I’m bipolar and the only person I have is a guy I’ve been dating five years but I feel I done run him off emotional I know I need medical attention but I can’t bring myself to have myself committed I’m the scatedest I ever been and I feel broken and like this time I can’t be fixed
    AND I will end up really alone I was drugged and rapped two years ago while he was in jail I can’t get past beging rapped it was by someone I looked to highly they was there to help me with my brother funeral when he drowned and I can’t get the hurt out of my head I also found out that through all this I got chronic hep c and I’m scared of treatment and not getting treatment please help before I lose me completely

  3. Hey BJ i did try and leave another comment back to you but it doesnt look like it got posted. HHHMMM. anyway, I just want to say that I hope you can find some kind of deer resistant feeder. I know depression can be hard and I have also been experiencing some mood swings myself lately. I lash out at my husband too often as well. He is a very forgiving man but even I can push him too far sometimes. But he is still very patient. I say I’m sorry which he appreciates but basically tells me to just work on coping mechanisms. And encourages. He gets me to snuggle up with him and for us to have good personal and intimate time together. A good one on one. And it is helpful even if it does take me 10 minutes to return to my usual, sweet self. lol But this is something I really want to get under control better. This past 8 months has been some kind of stressful. But I got up at 5 today and am accomplishing many things. I plan on going to Home Depot today to buy some mulch for my small front yard. That will make me happy spreading that all around as seeing my front yard is a mud bath. I enjoy gardening. Today will be 73 so Im going to enjoy this. And later on I will walk my dog in the sun and feel the warmth on my face and enjoy all of Gods beauty. Sometimes when I look around I just see so much beauty and I cry. This makes me happy. I remember watching that movie “Mask” and he wrote a poem. It was read at the end of the movie. I always remember the beginning the beginning of and the end of the poem. It was supposed to be about 2 things. One thing that he hates and one that he loves. And it starts out with the sun on his face and ends with the sun on his face. Because his face was disformed he hated the sun on his face but because of how it felt, he loved it. And i think of this when I take my walks and the sun is shining. Sometimes I even recite it to myself.

  4. I totally understand. I lash out at my husband way too often myself and then feel bad and have a hard time forgiving myself. But he helps me by reminding me that I need to forgive myself. Just calm down and being loving to him. He doesn’t always need an apology altho its nice to hear, it does not solve the problem. He just encourages me to work on my coping mechanisms, snuggle close to him and just love him. He’s a very forgiving man but even i can push him too far at times. I am trying very hard every day to not be this person. When he first met me I was better but with the stress I’ve been under lately, the past 8 months, it has taken it’s toll but I still have beautiful moments. Happy moments. I just need more of them. lol Thanks for what you said about my comment. It really encouraged me. That was only my second comment I had ever posted. But I am finding this very enjoyable and it is giving me a purpose right now. Thank you. And I pray for you as well. Today I am going to purchase some mulch for my front yard since it’s supposed to be 73 today. This will give me much happiness and then I will walk the dog in the sun and soak it all up and enjoy Gods beauty. Some days when I see God’s beauty i just cry at all He has made and try to remind myself when I am depressed that He is with me and sees every tear and feels every pain. And this too shall pass. Sometimes I even feel myself smile.

  5. Violet, Thank you so much! Your comments were long but VERY helpful. I want to keep it where I can read it often. I maybe need to get feeders in the front and back but we have such a deer problem. We can fill the feeder and they will clean out the entire feeder every night!

    I dont know what I would do,without God in my life or an understanding husband. I lash out at himtoo often, I hate the mood changes or anger

    Again, thank you.

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