During the pandemic, more people were forced to stay at home. Students have resorted to online or homeschooling and a lot of people have transitioned from office to work from home setup.
So, what does this have to do with the birds?
While experts say staying at home is safer, it brought mental health issues to many.
We are talking about depression, loneliness, and anxiety. Some might take these things lightly but for the people who are suffering from them – they’re as deadly as the coronavirus.
Anti-depressant medicines and counseling are what people consider a cure for these. Little do we know, there’s another effective way in dealing with mental health issues and it’s just hiding within nature.
Connect with nature.
According to a study that’s published on Frontiers in Psychology:
“Taking at least twenty minutes out of your day to stroll or sit in a place that makes you feel in contact with nature will significantly lower your stress hormone levels.”
According to Dr. MaryCarol Hunter, an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan and lead author of this research:
“Our study shows that for the greatest payoff, in terms of efficiently lowering levels of the stress hormone cortisol, you should spend 20 to 30 minutes sitting or walking in a place that provides you with a sense of nature.”
If you’re living somewhere far from trees and other greenery, you might want to try bird watching.
You might be asking, “How could I possibly do it in my area if it’s nowhere near their natural habitat?”
The answer is simple, you attract them by turning your backyard into a bird-friendly place. Yes, you read that right, you give them a place where they can eat, drink, play, and stay.
We have listed a few things that you can try to make your backyard more inviting to these beautiful winged creatures.
1. Start growing plants or flowers that are native to your area.
Why? Because the types of birds in your area are already accustomed to plants that are native in your area or region. That means birds are at ease or attracted to these types of plants. It surely will invite them to hang around.
Once they get familiar with the new area (which is your backyard), they may lure other birds nearby and that gives you a rare sight of a flock of birds.
2. Build a place where birds can drink and bathe.
Although birds are not mammals (which means they don’t have sweat glands), they still need to drink. And now that summertime is just around the corner, birds’ water sources will start to dry up and they’ll soon look for other sources water.
You can build your own version of a birdbath, just make sure to put it somewhere within your scope of vision. Once they spot your birdbath, you’ll have an exclusive view of their drinking and bathing time.
3. Give them shelter.
What we meant by the word shelter is a place where they can stay, sleep, and hide from predators. As we all know, birds are hitting almost rock bottom on the food chain, which means they’re prey to most animals in the open.
But try your best to make it as natural-looking as possible to give birds that “at home” feeling.
4. Refrain from using pesticides.
Anyone who has a garden or has grown a plant knows how pests ruin everything. They will just pop out from nowhere and will start munching on your greeneries. Even if that’s the case, try not to use pesticides or anything toxic to wash pests away.
Do you want to harm or shoo those birds away from your backyard? I bet you don’t.
You can fight mental health issues by having birds around you.
According to research by academics at the University of Exeter, the British Trust for Ornithology, and the University of Queensland:
“People living in neighbourhoods with more birds, shrubs and trees are less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and stress…”
See, there are a lot of other ways to fight against mental health issues and the remedy are just around us, flying in different colors.
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