Sounds of nature—like waterfall and rainforest noises—can make you feel less anxious by helping your body relax. There’s plenty of evidence suggesting that interacting with nature has positive effects on relaxation and overall well-being.¹

Natural noise has also been beneficial in other situations by alleviating stress related to medical conditions and pain after certain surgical procedures.²³ Here’s what else you need to know.

Anxiety and Nature Sounds

Researchers have indicated relationships between anxiety and nature sounds. For example, one small study with 17 healthy adults found that sounds of nature physically can alter the brain’s connections, reducing the body’s natural fight-or-flight instinct.⁴

Listening to artificial sounds was associated with patterns of inward-focused attention—worrying and ruminating about things specific to oneself. On the contrary, nature sounds prompted more external-focused attention and were linked to a more relaxed bodily response.⁴