Noise can be a big stressor in urban areas - the constant thrum of traffic, car alarms going off, power tools and lawn mowers unexpectedly springing into life and aircraft flying over. It is such a constant in many people’s lives that we kind of take it for granted.
When lockdown hit and the noise of traffic and aircraft was drastically reduced, we suddenly realised just how much we had got used to it. Interestingly, we started to notice other, much more soothing sounds - the sounds of nature - birds singing, the wind rustling leaves in the trees and maybe even the sound of water from an urban river. The sounds of nature have been shown to promote relaxation.
Even though the thrum of urban noise is back with us, it is still possible to seek out the soothing sounds of nature in urban areas. Parks and greenspaces with wooded areas and other semi-natural habitats, such as grassland or rivers can be the best places to try. Try to find a spot away from busy roads and other noisy areas.
A lovely short activity to try, is to find a suitable spot to sit where you feel safe and close your eyes and simply listen for a couple of minutes. Try to pinpoint the different sounds of nature you can hear. What can you hear? Maybe leaves rustling in the breeze, or an insect buzzing, or a bird calling. Perhaps some water flowing. Where are the sounds in relation to you? Maybe you can identify more than one bird of the same type calling to each other. After you have sat for a couple of minutes listening, open your eyes. Can you see the source of any of the sounds you were listening to? Before moving on, consider how this activity made you feel.
If you don’t like the idea of closing your eyes to do this activity, another variation is to draw a ‘map’ of the sounds you hear. Put a symbol for yourself in the middle of a page in a notebook and then draw a symbol for each sound you hear in relation to yourself. Symbols could be bigger or smaller according to how loud the sound is you hear. The act of mapping the sounds will help you to focus on what you are hearing. How did this activity make you feel?
As you get more used to tuning into the sounds of nature, perhaps you will start to notice more natural sounds as you go for a walk in your local greenspaces and reap the benefit of their soothing quality.
'Cross the meadow and the stream and listen as the peaceful water brings peace upon your soul.' Maximillian Degenerez
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