5 best Ways Birdsong Helps Morning Mindfulness

Finding peace in the morning in a busy world can feel nearly impossible. But what if that calm space existed just outside your window? The incredibly natural and often overlooked sound of birdsong plays a significant role in contributing to our mental well-being. Birds make beautiful sounds and fascinating noises, and they can be healing.

Birdsong is a natural part of human history. All across the globe, there are practices that include different aspects of birdsong in traditional medicine that people have used when healing themselves or others. Now more than ever, modern-day research backs up what our ancestors and the earth’s tiniest birds already knew: the delicate birds are a natural sound that effectively enhances mood, reduces anxiety, and improves attention and focus; thus, complementing your morning mindfulness session.

In this blog post, we will further explore how birdsong can enhance mental clarity, emotional balance, and mindful presence while outlining some of the ways you can begin to incorporate birdsong​ into your daily routine, affiliate products to support your practice, and direct you to a previous post where I discuss calming nature sounds: Ocean vs Forests.

1: Birdsong inherently calms the nervous system

Birdsong facilitates the parasympathetic nervous system—the “rest and digest mode” that encourages slowing down and deep breathing. In a 2022 study published in Scientific Reports, natural sounds (and especially bird calls) were found to significantly reduce stress and mental fatigue in people exposed to urban settings (Alvarsson et al., 2022).

Early morning listening to birds supports the “anchor for the mind” part. With a sequence of bird calls, chirps, and gentle cooing, birds provide gentle mindfulness cues that encourage slowing down.

How to use it:

• For five minutes before you start your day each morning, sit by an open window or outdoors in your yard, close your eyes, and focus on listening to the bird song.
• For those in urban environments, use a high-quality playback recording of birds or nature soundscapes that include bird sounds. This portable Birdsong Bluetooth Speaker provides the same indoor “calmness.”

2: Birdsong promotes present-moment awareness

One of the greatest powers of high-quality birdsong comes from promoting present-moment awareness. Mindfulness is all about awareness—being in the moment. Birds provide this gentle anchor for you to engage with the present moment.

Birdsong provides an ideal choice to do just this because it is unencumbered by the many human associations that music often provides, and because it allows for a level of clearing that is distraction-free! Birdsong provides background noise that is safe, repetitive, and neutral to allow for morning mindfulness practice.

Actionable Tip: For your first 10 minutes every morning, don’t look at your phone. Sit in silence and only listen to the birds. Make it your game to TRY and identify the many calls – as you are identifying the differences from bird to bird, your mind is being occupied in noticing differences in an activity that will keep you engaged in the present moment!

Bonus Tool: Enhance your mindfulness practice with a natural product like Superhuman at 70, which helps oxygenate the body and clear the mind (ideal for morning routines).

3: Supports Positive Emotion and Resilience

There is an uplifting quality to morning birdsong. Researchers are starting to study why there may be a genetic or evolutionary aspect to this outcome. A likely link to the research has to do with the birds increasing their song type and volume at dawn when it is quiet in the air (and sound travels), as it relates to safety and establishing territory. For human listeners, this environmental cue seems to read “all is well” and is associated with daybreak.

A study mentioned in Frontiers in Psychology indicates that exposure to birdsong measured increased emotional well-being and lower levels of depression (Hedblom et al., 2021). For many, it is one of the simplest, low-cost, easily accessible, and impactful ways to support your mood, when appropriate.

Daily Practice Suggestion:

• Pursue your day, forgo coffee, and start with a gratitude journal while the birds are singing. List three things you appreciate
• Carve out a mindfulness nook, with some plants and your favorite natural sound or recording.

4: It also enhances focus and cognitive function

Birdsong is relaxing, but it can also help with mental performance. If you have trouble with morning brain fog or daily distractions, 3 minutes of birdsong can work much better than a cup of coffee.

A study at the University of Surrey found that natural soundscapes, especially those with birdsong, improved concentration and task performance, especially in high-stress circumstances.

Here is a Morning Routine you could do:

• Upon waking, sip a glass of water.
• Step outside and devote 3 minutes to listening.
• Take a short walk around your yard/balcony while putting all of your attention on the birds’ calls.

This is a form of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) approach. And the good news is it takes less than a few minutes and costs nothing.

5: Supports Building a Consistent Morning Mindfulness Habit

When it comes to mindfulness, consistency is essential. Birdsong is the least structured and involves less effort than meditation or yoga, and therefore is a sustainable mindfulness practice for beginning practitioners.

Birds are naturally consistent animals – their morning chorus will start more or less at the same time every day, especially in the spring and summer. You can use this dependability to “sync” your habit of mindfulness with theirs.

Form a Morning Ritual:

• Get up 15 minutes earlier than you typically do and set your alarm.
• Open your window and sit with a warm cup of herbal tea.
• Play soft birdsong if you do not have any by you.
• Spend 5-10 minutes breathing and listening deeply.

Combine this habit with a nitric oxide supplement like Superhuman at 70 to oxygenate your brain and body as part of your daily wellness habit of improving mental clarity.

FAQs

Q1: Can birdsong replace a guided audio?
A1: Yes, for many people, the fantasies that arise from birdsong have the same calming effects as a formal session. Birdsong naturally promotes mindfulness without effort.

Q2: What if I live in a noisy or metropolitan area?
A2: You can accomplish the same experience indoors by using high-quality birdsong recordings or a birdsong speaker, like the one on this page.

Q3: How long should I listen to birdsong each morning?
A3: Five to ten minutes will provide noticeable effects. The secret is consistency and intention.

Conclusion:

Let Birdsongs Help You, and be Your Mindfully Present Mornings

Birdsong is much more than an enjoyable background noise; it is a natural healing tool. It can calm the nervous system, increase mental focus, and build emotional resilience, and it is an excellent way to start your day with clarity and calm.

You don’t need fancy smartphone apps or time-consuming ones. Just step outside, listen, and breathe.

When you incorporate your birdsong practice with other helpful aids, such as natural sound devices or natural supplements, be sure to establish your birdsong and mindfulness habit. The more rhythm you connect with in nature, the more present, focused, and joyful your mornings will be.