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This advice is supported by several recent studies. A 2017 study demonstrated how exposure to natural sounds can significantly calm one’s nervous system. By measuring participants’ heart rates and brain activity, researchers found that listening to these types of recordings induced a restful state. Artificial noise, on the other hand, caused participants to experience an “inward-directed focus of attention” — a mental state often seen in cases of anxiety and depression.

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(iStock)

Four years ago, I stood in a grassy field adjacent to the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, listening to all the noise. There was the hum of distant traffic and power generators. An ambulance screamed down Fifth Avenue. A delivery truck beeped as it backed up, and a runner on the nearby terrace stairs blasted hard rock on his phone. I took deep breaths as I watched my two little dogs sniff at an empty pizza box on the ground - in through the nose, out through the mouth - but I couldn't seem to lower my heart rate. It wasn't even 6:30 a.m. This was the subdued din before the real cacophony began.

Central Park is one of the few peaceful outdoor places in New York, but it's not quiet. Since moving to the Upper East Side, where my husband, Kumar, was completing his medical residency, I'd started experiencing anxiety, depression and small panic attacks in response to the construction, traffic, industrial and other chronic noise. All I wanted was to free myself from the polluted soundscape for a while and quiet my anxiety. Instead, every morning, I swallowed the bad feelings and kept walking.

The depression and anxiety weren't new; like most of my family members, I've experienced symptoms of mental illness since I was a teenager. But these conditions exploded in the absence of a quiet environment where I could reset my nervous system. I'd lived in major urban areas for most of my adult life, but this was the first city I inhabited where nature was inaccessible. To head upstate, you need money and weekends off, of which we had neither. So, instead, I sequestered myself inside our one-bedroom apartment, self-treating my racing pulse, cold sweats and bouts of crying with alcohol and Xanax.

Later, I discovered that these types of physiological and psychological reactions to noise pollution weren't proof of my insanity. Yes, I was perhaps more sensitive to noise than others, but the violent pounding of a jackhammer or the screech of a subway car can make any hearing person cringe. In fact, studies show that, like secondhand smoke, prolonged exposure to noise pollution can cause an array of health issues, from an increased risk of heart disease to poor sleep and worsened mental health. Humans aren't the only ones suffering, either. Chronic unnatural noise has caused documented harm to wildlife, even leading to the depletion of certain species of birds, fish and other animals.

I quit drinking 2 years ago. Over time, my brain made it easier.

It's difficult to escape noise. But for me, relief arrived in the form of a move to Milwaukee for Kumar's gastroenterology fellowship in spring 2018. Our access to nature increased exponentially; I could stroll through a local park without being startled by the air brakes of a tour bus. Yet, I realized I needed a better strategy for dealing with my negative reactions to noise, especially since our neighborhood near the hospital still suffered from the sounds of rumbling motorcycles, downshifting trucks, airplanes flying overhead and the hissof steam from factories along the river.

A few months after the move, I began researching how to alleviate stress in a noisy environment. The most common recommendation? Give your body what it's craving: nature. And if that's not possible, do the next best thing and listen to the recorded sounds of your favorite natural landscapes.

This advice is supported by several recent studies. A 2017 study demonstrated how exposure to natural sounds can significantly calm one's nervous system. By measuring participants' heart rates and brain activity, researchers found that listening to these types of recordings induced a restful state. Artificial noise, on the other hand, caused participants to experience an "inward-directed focus of attention" - a mental state often seen in cases of anxiety and depression.

Taking a cue from what I read online, I streamed nature sounds for several hours every day. Chickadees serenaded my morning workouts. I wrote to the sound of water flowing over river stones. And when I felt overwhelmed by construction or traffic noise, I matched my inhales and exhales to a recording of wind whispering through trees.

Nothing worked for my depression - until I tried meditation

Initially, I played these sounds on YouTube. This eight-hour video with more than 28 million views was my favorite. A few weeks into this self-guided therapy, I upgraded to using free sound apps on my phone, as well as the website mynoise.net. This not only afforded me better audio output, but also let me customize the sounds. (For instance, when playing the soundscape "Primeval Forest," I'm able to silence the distracting call of a cuckoo bird.)

The result? Most of the time, the recordings prevented me from assuming the fetal position on the rug or reaching for a bottle of Milwaukee craft beer. My overstimulated fight-or-flight response also decreased for the rest of the day, well after I turned off the white noise of rain. When I listened to the recordings, I didn't just feel more relaxed; I threw mini tennis balls for my dogs in the backyard, adopted the hobby of baking bread and gushed to Kumar about my day before he could even change out of his scrubs after work.

There may be a reason for this. In 2014, researchers from Penn State found that natural soundscapes can improve listeners' moods after just a brief period of exposure. Participants whose temperaments were negatively affected from watching an unsettling video experienced quick recoveries when the audio feed was switched to something authentic and human-free - meaning the disturbing clamor that progress has created has also given us the technology to mask it.

Earlier this month, I walked to Lake Michigan with the dogs and listened to the cold waves break against rocks and concrete revetments sheltering the city. The wind and water silenced the whoosh of traffic on Lincoln Memorial Drive, and I thought about how, for all those years, I inadvertently pushed my body to the brink. Back then, it felt as if sound had solidified into something sharp-edged and heavy - a weapon.

The Dutch have a name for doing nothing. It's called niksen, and we need more of it.

Now, I view noise pollution as existing within a quota system. A small amount of noise is fine, or even exciting. Think of wandering through Times Square as a child or dancing to loud music at a bar. But afterward, some of us may just need to return to the sounds of the countryside, or ocean or forest, to prevent our minds from hitting the panic button.

As the world grows louder, I at least have one reprieve. In lieu of quiet, unadulterated nature, I can put on headphones and hit "play."

Paige Towers is a freelance writer based in Milwaukee.

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Perspective | City noise supercharged my anxiety. It was nature sounds that saved me.

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Four years ago, I stood in a grassy field adjacent to the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, listening to all the noise. There was the hum of distant traffic and power generators. An ambulance screamed down Fifth Avenue. A delivery truck beeped as it backed up, and a runner on the nearby terrace stairs blasted hard rock on his phone.

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Getting people to be more educated about the sound of nature and how that can play a role in peoples mental health issues or stress.

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What else is out there within this subject

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What else is out there within this subject

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But to find the app you need to maybe know that nature can help relive stress etc. Which gives me an opportunity with my campaigns to educate people.

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What else is out there within this subject

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What else is out there within this subject

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Putting enough information on one poster to catch peoples attention.

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By edutcating people more about it.

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Nature and mental health problems

Spending time in nature has been found to help with mental health problems including anxiety and depression. For example, research into ecotherapy (a type of formal treatment which involves doing activities outside in nature) has shown it can help with mild to moderate depression.

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Tell us more What do you want to tell us about? Note: Please don't include personal details like your name or email address. If you do, data protection law means we'll have to delete your comments. Unfortunately we can't reply to this. If you want a response from us, see our Contact us page.

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1. I recently took up walking outside becuase of the pandemic and stuff, and I  have actually started to walk without headphones and it has been such a joy connecting to nature.

2. Probably yeah!

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1. Not much really, I really like summer tho, when you can enjoy going for a run and stuff like that. Otherwise I don´t really think about that.

2. Probably, but like I said before I don´t really think about it that much.

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1. When I am in nature I feel incredibly calm, like everything around me just dissapears and I can just be.

2. Absolutley, I´ve seen changes in my own mental health when I just turn off my music and everything else and just enjoy existing.

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"How do you feel when You´re in nature?"

"Do you think that mental health can be improved by sounds of nature?"

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I asked some people via a survey about mental health and how they feel when they are in nature.

And as well if they think that nature can can help mental health problems, such as anxiety.

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You know that feeling of clear-headed calm that washes over you when you listen to water babbling down a stream, or leaves rustling in the wind? Researchers say they’ve pinpointed a scientific explanation for why sounds from nature have such a restorative effect on our psyche: According to a new study, they physically alter the connections in our brains, reducing our body’s natural fight-or-flight instinct.

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Do you know that feeling of clear-headed calm that washes over you when you listen to the water babbling down a stream or leaves rustling in the wind? Researchers said they'd pinpointed a scientific explanation for why sounds from nature have such a restorative effect on our psyche: According to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports in March 2017, sounds of nature physically alter our brains' connections, reducing our body's natural fight-or-flight instinct.

Sounds of Nature and Relaxation

Natural sounds and green environments have been linked with relaxation and well-being for hundreds of years. But unique to this study is that it was one of the first to use brain scans, heart-rate monitors, and behavioral experiments to suggest a physiological cause for these effects.

To investigate the connection between the brain, the body, and background noise, the researchers recruited 17 healthy adults to receive functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans while listening to a series of five-minute soundscapes of natural and artificial environments.

Participants also performed a task to measure their attention and reaction time during each soundscape. Their heart rates were monitored as well to indicate changes in their autonomic nervous systems-the system of organs involved in involuntary processes such as breathing, blood pressure, temperature, metabolism, and digestion.

When they studied the fMRI results, the researchers noticed that activity in the brain's default mode network-an area involved in mind wandering and "task-free" states of wakefulness-varied depending on the background sounds being played. Specifically, listening to artificial sounds was associated with patterns of inward-focused attention, while nature sounds prompted more external-focused attention.

Inward-focused attention can include worrying and rumination about things specific to one's self-patterns that have been linked to conditions involving psychological stress (including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder). Participants' reaction times were slower when they listened to artificial sounds than natural ones.

Slight differences in heart rate were also detected, indicating a shift in the body's autonomic nervous system response. Overall, nature sounds were associated with a decrease in the body's sympathetic response (which causes that "fight-or-flight" feeling) and an increase in parasympathetic response-the one that helps the body relax and function in normal circumstances and is sometimes referred to as the "rest-digest" response.

Those results weren't the same for everyone: People who started the study with the highest sympathetic responses (suggesting high levels of stress) registered the biggest relaxation benefits from the nature clips. People who started with low levels of sympathetic response, on the other hand, actually had a slight increase when listening to natural versus artificial sounds.

How To Incorporate Nature Sounds Into Your Daily Life

Lead author Cassandra Gould van Praag, PhD, a research fellow at the University of Sussex, said the study's findings might have real-world impacts-especially for people with high-stress levels. "I would definitely recommend a walk in natural surroundings to anyone, whether they're currently feeling frazzled or not," Gould van Praag told Health via email. "Even a few minutes of escape could be beneficial."

Gould van Praag said the research had inspired her to get outdoors for breaks or listen to nature sounds using an app throughout her workday. "I really did find the downloaded tracks helpful for those times when I couldn't get away from my desk," Gould van Praag said. However, Gould van Praag added that it took some time to find an app "that was right for me," so Gould van Praag didn't recommend rushing into any software or noise-machine purchases without trying them first.

Once you settle on a nature sound you find pleasant, Gould van Praag said it might also help improve your focus and concentration. In the study, participants performed best at "attention tasks" when listening to sounds that were considered familiar compared with unfamiliar ones. "I think this supports the importance of finding an environment or sound machine that is right for the individual," Gould van Praag said. "Rainforest noises might only have a strong relaxing effect if you are already very familiar with rainforests!"

Finding that ideal background soundscape could potentially help to promote better rest, as well. "Poor sleep causes autonomic stress (the fight-or-flight response), and autonomic stress causes poor sleep," Gould van Praag said. "This would suggest that anything which can reduce the fight-or-flight response may be beneficial to improved quality of sleep." Gould van Praag added that minimizing artificial noise-like street traffic-may also be helpful.

Thanks for your feedback!

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Why Nature Sounds Are Great for Relaxation

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Do you know that feeling of clear-headed calm that washes over you when you listen to the water babbling down a stream or leaves rustling in the wind?

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1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England [1]. 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (like anxiety and depression) in any given week in England [2].

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Caution on these figures

The 2014 survey that many of these figures come from only looked at people who were:

aged 16 and over

living in private housing

living in England (data wasn't collected in Wales).

This excludes lots of groups of people. For example, these figures do not include people who are:

in hospitals

in prisons

in sheltered housing

homeless or rough sleeping.

So the true numbers are probably higher than these figures show.

We've rounded the figures to the nearest whole number. You can find more detail in the original study [2].

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The 2014 survey that many of these figures come from only looked at people who were: aged 16 and over living in private housing living in England (data wasn't collected in Wales). This excludes lots of groups of people. For example, these figures do not include people who are: in hospitals in prisons in sheltered housing homeless or rough sleeping.

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The Ocean - Which led me to think about how much nature sounds can actually help against mental health issues.

What I try to research more about: How can Nature sounds help fight against something so common such as anxiety?

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Who are the ‘users’ or who does it affect?

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Who are the ‘users’ or who does it affect?

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Everyone who have been through mental health issues and as well people who previously did not know that nature can help with mental health issues such as anxiety.

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That my target group would be too broad or that people might not care.

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Future

Why? To try to educate people in how nature sounds can help with some mental health issues such as anxiety both now and in the future.

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Idea #1 Creating an app that will help with mental health issues during quarantine, by using the sound of the ocean to calm people.

Idea #2 Creating a campaign highlighting the mental health issues in England and how nature can play a role in managing it.

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Digging a bit deeper, it appears that interacting with natural spaces offers other therapeutic benefits. For instance, calming nature sounds and even outdoor silence can lower blood pressure and levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which calms the body's fight-or-flight response.

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Image: © Sidekick/Getty Images
Looking for a simple way to help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and maybe even improve your memory? Take a walk in the woods.

"Many men are at higher risk for mood disorders as they age, from dealing with sudden life changes like health issues, the loss of loved ones, and even the new world of retirement," says Dr. Jason Strauss, director of geriatric psychiatry at Harvard-affiliated Cambridge Health Alliance. "They may not want to turn to medication or therapy for help, and for many, interacting with nature is one of the best self-improvement tools they can use."

Your brain and nature

Research in a growing scientific field called ecotherapy has shown a strong connection between time spent in nature and reduced stress, anxiety, and depression.

It's not clear exactly why outdoor excursions have such a positive mental effect. Yet, in a 2015 study, researchers compared the brain activity of healthy people after they walked for 90 minutes in either a natural setting or an urban one. They found that those who did a nature walk had lower activity in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region that is active during rumination - defined as repetitive thoughts that focus on negative emotions.

"When people are depressed or under high levels of stress, this part of the brain malfunctions, and people experience a continuous loop of negative thoughts," says Dr. Strauss.

Digging a bit deeper, it appears that interacting with natural spaces offers other therapeutic benefits. For instance, calming nature sounds and even outdoor silence can lower blood pressure and levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which calms the body's fight-or-flight response.

The visual aspects of nature can also have a soothing effect, according to Dr. Strauss. "Having something pleasant to focus on like trees and greenery helps distract your mind from negative thinking, so your thoughts become less filled with worry."

Bringing the outdoors inside

If you can't make it outside, listening to nature sounds can have a similar effect, suggests a report published online March 27, 2017, by Scientific Reports. Researchers used an MRI scanner to measure brain activity in people as they listened to sounds recorded from either natural or artificial environments.

Listening to natural sounds caused the listeners' brain connectivity to reflect an outward-directed focus of attention, a process that occurs during wakeful rest periods like daydreaming. Listening to artificial sounds created an inward-directed focus, which occurs during states of anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression. Even looking at pictures of nature settings, your favorite spot, or a place you want to visit can help.

Find your space

How much time with nature is enough? "Anything from 20 to 30 minutes, three days a week, to regular three-day weekends in the woods is helpful," says Dr. Strauss. "The point is to make your interactions a part of your normal lifestyle."

Your time with nature could be something as simple as a daily walk in a park or a Saturday afternoon on a local trail. "You can even try to combine your nature outings with your regular exercise by power walking or cycling outdoors," says Dr. Strauss.

The type of nature setting doesn't matter, either. "Focus on places you find the most pleasing," says Dr. Strauss. "The goal is to get away from stimulating urban settings and surround yourself with a natural environment."

And don't feel you have to go it alone. A 2014 study found that group nature walks were just as effective as solo treks in terms of lowering depression and stress and improving overall mental outlook.

In fact, the researchers noted that people who had recently experienced stressful life events like a serious illness, death of a loved one, or unemployment had the greatest mental boost from a group nature outing. "Nature can have a powerful effect on our mental state," says Dr. Strauss, "and there are many ways to tap into it."

Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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Sour mood getting you down? Get back to nature - Harvard Health

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Many men are at higher risk for mood disorders as they age, from dealing with sudden life changes like health issues, the loss of loved ones, and even the new world of retirement. If they do not want to turn to medication or therapy for help, men can...

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In 2013, there were 8.2 million cases of anxiety in the UK.¹

In England women are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety disorders as men.

The one-week prevalence of generalised anxiety in England is 6.6%

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Anxiety is a type of fear usually associated with the thought of a threat or something going wrong in the future, but can also arise from something happening right now.

In 2013, there were 8.2 million cases of anxiety in the UK.¹

In England women are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety disorders as men.²

The one-week prevalence of generalised anxiety in England is 6.6%³

Be Mindful Online is an online mindfulness course offered by the Mental Health Foundation. Research on the online course in 2013 found that for the 273 people that completed the course, there was, on average, a 58% reduction in anxiety levels.

Browse all the mental health statistics Download a PDF of all the stats
References

¹Fineberg, N., Haddad, P., Carpenter, L., Gannon, B., Sharpe, R., Young, A., Joyce, E., Rowe, J., Wellsted, D., Nutt, D. and Sahakian, B. (2013). The size, burden and cost of disorders of the brain in the UK. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 27(9), pp.761-770.

²Martin-Merino, E., Ruigomez, A., Wallander, M., Johansson, S. and GarciaRodriguez, L. (2009). Prevalence, incidence, morbidity and treatment patterns in a cohort of patients diagnosed with anxiety in UK primary care. Family Practice, 27(1), pp.9-16.

³McManus S, Bebbington P, Jenkins R, Brugha T. (eds.) (2016) Mental health and wellbeing in England: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2014. Leeds: NHS Digital. Available at: http://content.digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB21748/apms-2014-full-rpt.pdf [Accessed 5 October 2016]

⁴Mental Health Foundation (n.d). Evidence & Research. Available at http://bemindful.co.uk/evidence-research/ [Accessed August 2015].

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Anxiety is a type of fear usually associated with the thought of a threat or something going wrong in the future, but can also arise from something happening right now.

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1. Create an app (prototype) that you can write in what you feel and it tries to match that and match you with an appropriate nature sound that has been researched.

2. Create a campaing that has a organisation as a front for it. Like something that is well known, and present an insight that maybe others did not know.

3. Create a campaign with an Insight that can be helpful to others who have experienced similar things to that of mental health issues of today.

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Insight - 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England