Natural sounds, such as the songs of birds, the rustle of leaves in the breeze or rain drops pattering on the ground, offer a sense of peace and well-being. In fact, there's scientific evidence that the sounds of nature provide health benefits by lowering our blood pressure, as well as our heart and respiration rates.

What happens when man-made sounds like traffic mix with those soothing sounds? Nothing good, recent research shows. Our levels of stress and anxiety increase.

Listening to the natural sounds occurring during sunrise reduced participants' reported stress and anxiety and improved their moods.

A small study conducted in the United Kingdom by the University of the West of England and the Bat Conservation Trust had 68 student volunteers listen to three, 3-minute recordings of soundscapes.

First, they listened to a recording of the sounds at sunrise in West Sussex, England just as the day was dawning. Then the student volunteers heard a recording of the same natural sounds, but with road traffic moving at 20 mph in the background. And finally, they heard a third recording of the same natural soundscape, but with traffic moving at 40 mph in the background.

Before and after hearing the soundscapes, all the volunteers reported on their mood and anxiety levels.

Listening to the early morning quiet and natural sounds occurring during sunrise reduced participants' reported stress and anxiety and boosted their moods, even after they were exposed to a stressor.

Simply reducing traffic speed in urban areas could have a good effect on the health and well-being of people living there.

Nature's de-stressing effect was undermined, however, when traffic noise was introduced. Heard alone, the early morning natural soundscape was associated with the lowest levels of stress and anxiety, but when traffic sounds were introduced, they interfered with the improved moods the natural soundscape had produced. The highest self-reported levels of stress and anxiety occurred when volunteers were exposed to the sounds of early morning overlaid with traffic moving at 40 mph.

The findings suggest that simply reducing traffic speed in urban areas could have a good effect on the health and well-being of people living there, both by improving safety and by reducing the degree to which traffic noise interferes with the stress-reducing effects of nature.

“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 authors of the study, Paul Lintott and Isabelle Bray, from the University of the West of England, and Lia Gilmour, of the Bat Conservation Trust, said in a joint press release.

“Reducing traffic speeds in cities is therefore an important step towards more people experiencing the positive effects of nature on their health and wellbeing,” they added.

We may not be able to silence the dull roar of traffic, but there are things we can do to ease our stress and anxiety. The American Psychological Association offers a number of tips for reducing stress:

  • Try to eliminate the stressors: Evaluate whether you can change the situation that is causing you stress, perhaps by dropping some responsibility or relaxing your standards.
  • Cultivate social support: Reach out strategically. Some friends or family members may be good at listening and sympathizing. Others might excel at practical help, like bringing over a home-cooked meal or covering an hour of childcare.
  • Eat well: A diet high in a variety of nutrients can both protect health and provide more physical energy to deal with challenges.
  • Relax your muscles: Because stress causes muscles to tense, being stressed out can create tension headaches, backaches and general fatigue. Combat stress and these symptoms with stretches, massage or warm baths. Or try progressive muscle relaxation.
  • Meditate: A strong body of research shows that mindful meditation can reduce psychological stress and anxiety.
  • Get physical: Brisk movement can directly combat stress. A fast-paced 30-minute walk or a dance session in the living room can do the trick.
  • Seek help: If self-help isn't working, look for a psychologist or other mental health provider who can help you learn how to manage your stress. To find a licensed therapist you can go to the “Psychologist Locator” on the website of the American Psychological Association. Your state's psychological association may be another source of potential names.

The study is published in PLOS ONE.