UK Nature and Environment

At the end of summer even adults suffer that “back to school” feeling as they resume stressful commutes on packed trains. But instead of listening to a podcast or music, opting for a nature soundtrack of birdsong or waterfalls could be the key to a “zen” commute, according to a study.

The research, undertaken by South Western Railway (SWR) on one of its trains and analysed by Charles Spence, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford, measured the impact of listening to nature soundscapes on passengers’ stress levels and relaxation.

The test – possibly the first on commuters in real-world conditions – featured passengers listening to a selection of nature sounds, including birdsong, flowing rivers and storms, as well as their regular preferred audio source, such as music or a podcast. These scenarios were also tested against no audio input on the specially commissioned service on a 47-minute loop journey from London Waterloo.