Stressbusters
BY THE WILD BIRD CENTER, WEATHERFORD, TX
Stressed? Relax. Breathe in. Breathe out…and venture
outdoors.
The cure to stress may be right outside the window.
Birds of a feather are not just a source of entertainment.
For many, they are also stressbusters.
Spending time surrounded by nature, whether walking
along a tree lined path or just sitting in your backyard,
can be a soothing remedy. Research has shown that
spending time outdoors lowers blood pressure and
eases muscle tension.
Even if venturing out into the yard isn’t feasible at the
moment, looking out a window still offers that nature
connection, and watching the comings and goings of
backyard birds can add to the feeling of peace.
Birds can be captivating. The longer we watch, the
more we find ourselves drawn in as they live their
lives all around our backyards. Watching and feeding
birds provides a sense of calm that is exactly the end
result that stress-management specialists hope people
achieve for a least some length of time every day. The
ideal is to disengage from the daily grind, even if for just
a few minutes a day, and open up to the sights, sounds
and color of nature.
As summer approaches, so does Mother’s Day, so offer
Mom the peaceful relaxation of a day spent in her own
backyard. What better gift than to allow her that one
special day of letting go of the computer mouse and
putting down that phone? Maybe expanding that to one
day a week!
A few well-placed feeders and a bird house or two can
provide hours of quiet and relaxation--and not just on
Mother’s Day! Taking a day every week to power down
and turn everything off to head out to ‘greener pastures’
will offer a sense of well being for the entire family, even
if just for a few hours in a day.
Encourage kids to disconnect and set aside comput-
ers and phones to, instead, walk outside and marvel
at the joys of nature living right in their own backyard.
Discovering birds and bird families, plus learning the
benefits of feeding them, instills in kids a respect for our
feathered friends as well as the other flora and fauna
living around them.
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Victorian Mansion
Your backyard can become an oasis away from daily
bustle and stresses, a tremendous source of education
about nature, while also becoming a haven for the back-
yard birds that live in your yard.
Hopper Feeder
Fill your summer feeders. While natural food is more
plentiful in the warmer months, offering seed and suet
this time of year will allow birds to happily supplement