Ah, the joys of public transport. For some, it’s an ordeal, as trains and buses are synonymous with stress and distractions. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to make these journeys more relaxing.

British train operating company South Western Railway recently conducted a study led by Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford, to determine how to make rail journeys more relaxing for commuters through the medium of sound.

According to the BBC, the researchers compared the benefits of music, podcasts and nature recordings among 2,000 British rail travellers. They found that birdsong and other natural sounds contributed to a 35% reduction in stress during the commute – far more than music or podcasts (11%).

This is not the first time the therapeutic effect of nature sounds has been demonstrated. In a 2021 study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers in the US and Canada reported that natural noises like the sound of rain or animal vocalisations could “improve health, increase positive affect, and lower stress and annoyance”.

And the best part is, there’s no need to go to the forest to be lulled by the song of the blackbird or the whisper of a gently flowing stream: music streaming platforms abound with playlists featuring natural sounds. They garner millions of listens and attract new fans every day.