You already know that birdwatching brings joy. Whether we seek birds on a nature walk or observe them in our own backyards, seeing a variety of birds or hearing birdsong can bring us happiness.
The way we approach birdwatching can have a great impact on how it makes us feel. One study tested whether the way British birdwatchers recorded their observations affected the happiness they felt. Birdwatchers were split into two groups, both of which were asked to observe their gardens (backyards) and note the species identified. The “count” group simply counted the number of birds of each species, while the “joy” group rated their feelings of joy on seeing each species. While both groups had improved wellbeing, anxiety and nature connection, participants who activated a sense of joy (the "joy watchers") experienced the greatest decreases in anxiety.