Why is traffic noise pollution bad?

Road traffic creates noise pollution that has proven a global health hazard in our increasingly industrialized world. Existing research has tied it to everything from sleep disturbances and decreased work performance, to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Now scientists at the University of the West of England in Bristol, U.K., have identified an association between such man-made sounds and increased stress and anxiety. What’s more, they showed that traffic noise stifles the calming, pleasing effects of nature sounds. Their findings were published Nov. 27, 2024, in the journal PLOS One.

How can I listen to nature sounds?

Though there may be less of it in rural areas, road traffic noise is difficult to completely escape. Yet whether you’re acutely aware of the racket’s impact on your mood or welcome it as comforting background noise, there are everyday ways to reap the mental health benefits of nature sounds. Listen to recordings of nature sounds; perhaps the quickest fix for city-dwellers; you could listen to a few minutes here and there during workday breaks, or play the noises through the night to create a peaceful sleeping environment. Take forest baths; they don’t have to be in an actual forest; you might go for mindful strolls through your nearest park. Exercise outdoors; weather permitting, swap the treadmill for the sidewalk or try your hand at outdoor yoga. Bring your hobbies outside; even as winter approaches, consider bundling up and listening to nature as you read, journal, draw, paint, knit, and more. Do a nature-themed grounding exercise; you may be familiar with the 5-4-3-2-1 coping technique for anxiety, in which you name five things you see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste; for No. 3, try to pick out nature sounds instead of traffic noises, such as a gust of wind against a windowpane or leaves skittering across the sidewalk. Meditate in nature; if you can’t practice al fresco, put on your headphones and dive into a guided nature meditation.

How do I get help for stress and anxiety?

If you need immediate mental health support, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

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Mindmental health

Your commute is more dangerous than previously realized, new research shows. One simple change could combat the mental toll

BYLindsey Leake

The sound of road traffic is not only linked to increased stress and anxiety, it also muddies the mental health benefits of nature noise, according to research published Nov. 27, 2024, in the journal PLOS One.