A large body of research has found that natural sounds, such as water and bird sounds, significantly enhance both mental and physical health by reducing stress, improving mood, and boosting cognitive function.
Noise pollution refers to any unpleasant, damaging or irritating noise that has the potential to harm people or wildlife. It can increase stress and anxiety, disrupt sleep, impact learning, elevate blood pressure, affect the digestive system and cause permanent hearing damage.
Scholarly Articles
After a 6-minute and 30-second session of silence in two different environments (forest and seminar room), participants reported feeling significantly more relaxed and less bored in the forest compared to indoors, and they perceived time as passing more quickly (Pfeifer et al., 2023).
References
Pfeifer, E., Pothmann, K., Claaßen, S., & Wittmann, M. (2023). Increased relaxation, less boredom, and a faster passage of time during a period of silence in the forest. Progress in Brain Research, 157–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.12.010