2023-06-06 00:12:17
With the arrival of good weather, many are those who decide to change the noisy city for the tranquility of the countrysideespecially during the weekends.
[Estos son los parques naturales más populares y visitados en España]
The whistle of the wind passing through the leaves of the trees, the song of the birds, the rumor of the water of rivers and streams, the rain or even the crowing of the rooster. The sounds of nature generate very powerful reactions in human beings.
A walk through the woods or a green meadow can be stimulating and relaxing, offering the mind a unique opportunity to take a break from everyday stress.
Now, a study carried out in the United States by researchers from that country, Canada and New Zealand has identified the important benefits of nature sounds for health and well-being.
[Estos son los cinco consejos de los expertos para mantener la salud mental en el trabajo]
The study published under the title A synthesis of the health benefits of natural sounds and their distribution in national parks, Led by Canadian biologist Rachel Buxton, ensures that “exposure to the sounds of nature improves mental health outcomes and stress, cognitive performance, childbirth, mortality rates and the rate of major diseases.”
The analysis differentiates, on the one hand, soundscapes, which are the sounds perceived in an environment (for example, birdsong), and on the other, geophysical sounds (for example, rain and wind) and also anthropogenic sounds (such as air traffic and road noise).
Scholars claim that soundscapes are threatened due to the loss of sound-producing organisms, such as birds, whose populations have fallen drastically in recent years throughout the world.
Also due to human-induced noise intrusion. That is, that noise pollution causes “changes in the behavior, physiology and fitness of wildlife.”
This noise pollution, experts say, contributes to multiple health problems among the population, which includes from hearing loss to non-hearing physiological effects such as increased incidence of hypertension and cardiovascular diseaseas well as high levels of stress and anxiety.
The results of the study indicate that the sounds of nature improve health, increase positive emotions and reduce stress and general discomfort.
Three types of sounds in nature
In nature we find three types of natural sounds: birds, water and mixed. The study concludes that the sounds of water are the most beneficial for health and positive emotions, while the sound of birds has better effects to relieve stress and discomfort.
They also value silence, since the absence of sound is very beneficial for reducing people’s stress and discomfort.
listen to benefit
Why do natural sounds have these positive effects on human health? The researchers say they provide “indications of safety” and connote “an orderly world without danger,” allowing “control of mental states.”
The absence of these natural security indicators can cause anxiety-related “vigilance” and “alert” states in humans.
The conclusions of the study confirm that, in urban settings, the sounds of water can mask noise and increase positive perceptionsand the singing of birds can improve the mood and generate pleasure.
Today, there are already innovative programs to encourage people to appreciate acoustic environments, from excursions, where the main objective is listening, to walks in quiet areas where visitors are asked to appreciate the silence.
In this sense, Buxton suggests that people close their eyes and be aware of the sounds they hear when they visit their favorite park. “These sounds are beautiful and good for our health, and they deserve our protection,” he concludes.
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