"On the fourth day...my true love gave to me four calling birds..."
Hey Thriver, did you know that there are about 10,000 species of birds worldwide?! As it turns out, watching these birds may be good for your health. Bird watching gets us out in nature and is also meditative, both of which calm the mind and can help us manage stress. As it turns out, some bird watching advocates even say that it’s good for the brain. Let’s face it, birds can be hard to spot and gone in the blink of an eye. A keen bird watcher needs a high degree of mental alertness and patience.
While we could not find one single study illustrating the health benefits of bird watching, as Pat Salber, MD, host of The Doctor Weighs In says “Despite the lack of published evidence, I am sure that birding has health benefits for me. When I bird, I am fully present, not checking email or texting, rather focusing entirely on the bird in front of me…”
So there you have it. If birding doesn’t trip your trigger Thriver, the take-home message here is to find something that slows you down and brings you into the present moment!
