Joy of sound
Nature's melodies
Dry twigs crunch underfoot as you make your way along the path. A gentle breeze is whistling through the treetops as you lean against a sturdy tree and pause for a moment. Take a deep breath and find the serenity stillness brings.
Continue letting your ears pick up on the sounds of nature. Perhaps there’s a babble of a nearby brook or the buzz of busy bees flitting between flowers. Maybe there’s a symphony of birdsong among the trees. Can you identify the signature melodies of any specific birds?
Continue reading.
Sam is wearing a TruHearing® Advanced hearing aid.
Nature's melodies
Dry twigs crunch underfoot as you make your way along the path. A gentle breeze is whistling through the treetops as you lean against a sturdy tree and pause for a moment. Take a deep breath and find the serenity stillness brings.
Continue letting your ears pick up on the sounds of nature. Perhaps there’s a babble of a nearby brook or the buzz of busy bees flitting between flowers. Maybe there’s a symphony of birdsong among the trees. Can you identify the signature melodies of any specific birds?
Continue reading.
Sam is wearing a TruHearing® Advanced hearing aid.
Humans are hardwired to need nature. One study of nearly 20,000 adults found that those who spend two hours a week in natural environments were significantly more likely to report good health and well-being compared to those who spent less than two hours a week outside.1
Nature’s melodies can be heard just outside your door. For example, right in your backyard, during a walk around your neighborhood, or at your local park. Consider eating a meal al fresco where the sounds of nature mingle with great food and loved ones.
“I love the wind, which before my hearing aids was mostly a visual phenomenon. It rattles the chimes, bellows the tarp, and whistles through the yard. I don’t take any of these for granted. I love these sounds, for they are the sounds of my life.”
–TruHearing customer
If you’d like to spend longer in nature, you can plan time to go hiking or visit a national park. Or travel to a lake or beach where you can hear waves crashing on the shore and seagulls flying above. Camping is another good way to experience sounds like a crackling fire and crickets singing you a lullaby.
Not only is being outside good for your health—research shows just the sounds of nature are beneficial. One study found that water sounds boosted overall health and positive emotions, while birdsong helped alleviate stress.2 So if you can’t escape into the great outdoors right now, take a quick listen to some of the best melodies nature has to offer.
Struggling to hear?
In less than 5 minutes, you can find out if you might have hearing loss.
Birdsong facts
- 1. Birds sing to attract mates and establish home territories.
- 2. Birds learn to sing when they are young, by listening to adult birds.
- 3. Bird species sing anywhere between 1 song and 2,000 songs.
- 4. Birds will sing only when there are no predators around.
- 5. Listening to birdsong may relax the body and improve productivity.3
- 6. People with diagnosed depression and people without a mental health condition both benefit from a significant boost in mental well-being when seeing and hearing birds.4
Sources:
1 “Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing.” Sci Rep. 2019.
2 “A synthesis of health benefits of natural sounds and their distribution in national parks.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2021.
3 bbc.com/news/magazine-22298779
4 Hammoud, R., Tognin, S., Burgess, L. et al. Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment reveals mental health benefits of birdlife. Sci Rep 12, 17589 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-20207-6
