Traffic Sounds Can Increase Your Anxiety And Stress
No matter how much you love the hustle and bustle of city life, most people tend to agree that wild environments are more relaxing than urban centers.
Think about it: would you feel more serene standing on the sidewalk in Manhattan, surrounded by pedestrians, cyclists, and traffic, or sitting at a lakeside following a hike?
Past research has already shown that natural sounds, such as birdsong and ocean waves, have the ability to reduce heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure, as well as decrease feelings of anxiety and stress.
On the flip side, man-made noises in more populated areas, like airplane or traffic sounds, are believed to have negative impacts on human health.
Now, a new study conducted by researchers in the U.K. has shown that man-made noises, including traffic, can actually diminish the calming effects of natural soundscapes on anxiety and stress.
A total of 68 student volunteers participated in the study and listened to three different soundscapes that were 3 minutes long.
The first was a natural recording from a sunrise in West Sussex, U.K. The second was the same recording mixed with the noise of traffic traveling 20 miles per hour. Finally, the third was the same recording combined with 40-mile-per-hour traffic noise.
Each participant’s mood and anxiety levels were self-reported both before and after listening to the soundscapes.
This revealed that natural soundscapes helped reduce anxiety and stress while also improving mood recovery following a stressful experience.
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Conversely, these mood-enhancing benefits were diminished whenever traffic noise was added to the natural sounds.
The lowest anxiety and stress levels were associated with the natural soundscape on its own. Meanwhile, the highest levels were observed after listening to the soundscape with 40-mile-per-hour traffic noise.
These results have led the researchers to suggest that lowering traffic speeds in urban areas may benefit overall health and well-being. Not only would it improve safety, but it would also preserve the positive impacts of natural soundscapes.
“Our study shows that listening to natural soundscapes can reduce stress and anxiety and that anthropogenic sounds such as traffic noise can mask potential positive impacts,” the team concluded.
“Reducing traffic speeds in cities is therefore an important step towards more people experiencing the positive effects of nature on their health and well-being.”
If or when traffic speeds would be cut down in major metropolitan areas remains to be seen. However, if you’re a city dweller, there are some immediate steps you can take.
For example, immerse yourself in more natural soundscapes whenever you can by leaving areas ripe with noise pollution to visit more wild spaces, like national parks.
To read the study’s complete findings, which have since been published in PLOS ONE, visit the link here.
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