Have you ever felt instantly calmer when you listen to the sound of gentle rain or the rustling of the leaves? If you do, you might actually benefit from listening to green noise, which is a new trend in the field of sound therapy. Green noise is generally a combination of natural sounds like babbling brooks or the sounds of the forest. There is no uniform frequency, which is part of what makes this such a distinct form of therapy compared to others, like white noise.
If you’re curious about green noise and how it can help you relax, let’s dive in! In this article, we’ll uncover more about what green noise is, what makes it different from other sound therapies, and the benefits of green noise for relaxation. Let’s first discuss what green noise entails, including its common sounds and experiences.
What Does Green Noise Sound Like?
Green noise—much like white noise or pink noise—doesn’t sound like you might think. As mentioned, it’s based on the sounds of nature, including forests, the flow of water, and other sounds. Some of the most common elements of green noise include birdsong, flowing water, distant thunder and lightning, the sound of rustling leaves, and even the whispers of wind moving through a clearing.
What Makes Green Noise Different from Others?
When it comes to white noise, pink noise, brown noise, and other sound therapies, green noise stands out because it uses natural sounds. With white noise, you’re more likely to experience a constant hum of sounds. Pink noise and brown noise also have their own consistent background elements, but none of them use nature as green noise does. The biggest difference between green noise and other forms of sound therapy is also the main reason why it is so good for relaxation!
The Benefits of Using Green Noise for Relaxation
Green noise, because of its inclusion of natural sounds from environments around the world, has been linked to relaxation and stress reduction, among so many other benefits. Here’s a look at some of the most common benefits of green noise for relaxation, as supported by experts in the field:
- Green Noise Can Reduce Stress: It’s no secret that we need our natural environment to thrive, but you might not know that it can actually lead to stress reduction. Whether it’s through nature sounds or images, experts have confirmed that these stimuli can lead to less stress psychologically and physiologically (Source: Sciences Advances).
- It Can Boost Your Mood: The more you listen to green noise or expose yourself to nature, the better you’ll feel emotionally. Experts have found that the more people are exposed to nature, the more likely they are to experience positive moods and decreased mood disorder symptoms (Source: Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine).
- Green Noise Can Aid Sleep: One of the most interesting benefits of green noise is the fact that it can help you sleep. People who listen to natural sounds before they go to bed can expect improved sleep quality, demonstrating just how much this amazing form of sound therapy can help you relax and unwind for proper rest.
- It May Help with Physical Tension: Another intriguing benefit of green noise as compared to all sound therapies is the fact that natural sounds have led some to report perceived reductions in muscle tension and soreness, showing how these natural sounds can help the body relax right before bed.
- Green Noise Benefits Cognition: Did you know that even just four weeks of exposure to nature sounds can actually help with improving your memory and focus? It’s true! Students from one university used nature sounds and found that it helped them combat mental fatigue over time (Source: PubMed).
With so many benefits that can aid in relaxation, you might wonder how you can incorporate this new sound therapy into your daily life. In the next section, let’s explore some common tips and ways that you can incorporate nature sounds into your daily routine.
Practical Tips for Integrating Green Noise into Your Daily Life
The benefits of green noise are numerous, and with daily exposure, you can encourage more relaxation during your day. One of the first and best ways to incorporate green noise into your schedule is to use sound machines or applications that produce high-quality green noise. If you need to, you can source many green noise audios from Pillow’s Sleep Aid section. For best results, set aside sometime before bed to listen to it for a few minutes, or perhaps make it a morning ritual, too. Choose what works best for you!
When you head to work, you can also take green noise with you to help encourage stress reduction and relaxation. You can listen to green noise while you work—if you can—to help mask office noise and feel more balanced throughout your workday. It will also, as we explored, help you focus even more. To get the most benefits, bring along a set of headphones that you can toss on whenever you need to.
If you’re on the go, you can still take your favorite green noise tracks with you! You can use headphones on the plane, train, or in the car. It’s also a great idea to use green noise as a sleep aid while you travel, as this can help you unwind when you’re in an unfamiliar place, like a new hotel or city. No matter how you choose to integrate sound therapy into your routine, you’ll experience its numerous benefits!
Will You Listen to Green Noise to Relax and Unwind?
As such a new trend, green noise has so much potential, and there are so many more studies being done to expose its amazing benefits. We hope that this article taught you something new about the power of this unique sound therapy! If you are interested in using this in your life, what ways will you implement green noise sound therapy?
