A recent post on Birding and Depression received quite a few comments from readers in mainland China. Here is a translation of some of them.
As someone suffering from depression, I can understand how birdwatching can slowly help me get out of my own world and regain some happiness.
—
Indeed, because of anxiety and depression, I started birdwatching. I really admire people who have the courage to go out and exercise their bodies and minds. There must be a reason why they go out.
—
Birdwatching has already become my most important social activity. I’m really happy to make friends with other birders and communicate with them.
—
I’ve been birdwatching for quite a long time now, and it feels great. But because I lack the motivation to act, I don’t go out as often as I should.
What makes birdwatching so fascinating to me is that, first of all, it’s an activity that gets you out into nature. You go outside, get some sunshine, and replenish your vitamin D. At the same time, you encounter all kinds of plants, insects, and other forms of life in the natural environment. It’s really fascinating.
Secondly, birdwatching requires you to keep learning new things and acquiring knowledge. Otherwise, you simply won’t recognize the birds.
For people suffering from depression, this is a good way to gradually get out of their own little world. And perhaps most importantly, birdwatching is something you can do entirely on your own. Although there are birding communities, you can also go completely by yourself, and that’s perfectly fine.
—
Since I started birdwatching, I feel like my brain has slowly become clearer. The most important thing is that birdwatching can make you stop worrying about what other people think of you, while training your ears and eyes. Your ears become sharper and your eyes clearer.
—
When my depression was at its worst, birdwatching helped me get through it.
—
I’m someone who has had severe depression for a long time. Birdwatching is probably the lowest-cost hobby I’ve ever had.
—
At the time when my depression was at its most severe, birdwatching seemed to pull my heart back from the edge.
—
I also hope that when I see people suffering from depression and trapped by the meaninglessness of life, I can be like a bird: able to fly wherever I want, without being held back by all kinds of constraints. Even if I fall, I can still get back up.
—
I think birdwatching is a very good way to counteract the visual and cognitive problems caused by excessive use of mobile phones.
—
When my depression was at its worst, and I really didn’t want to do anything, birdwatching genuinely helped me rediscover the joy of living.
In 2023 and 2025, I went hiking with friends and climbed mountains, went down streams, and sat under trees together with strangers. Those few hours made me realize what the world outside school was actually like.
I wanted to start living again and go out and see the world.
—
Birdwatching helped me get through the time when I was depressed.
—
But I’m afraid of being alone, so I usually go birdwatching with other people. Birdwatching has given me focus, and it also stimulates my previously rather twisted creativity.
I don’t know… depression is twisted, and birdwatching is also a little twisted…
—
I also think birdwatching should be regarded as a kind of healing process—a process of embracing nature.
—
When my mental state was at its worst, I frantically searched for birds every day. At that time, I felt that birdwatching was the only motivation that kept me alive and going. I was so determined to get out that even my family was saying, “How does birdwatching have such a hold on you?!”
Birdwatching, please count me among your rescued people.
—
No burden, and you get to go outside. Although the hardest part is getting yourself out the door.
—
A few months ago I was also thinking about going to Liuhua Lake Park to go birdwatching. Hmm, still haven’t managed to get out of the house.
—
Depressed people love birds. Birdwatching makes people happy.
—
I feel that birdwatching can really alleviate depression.
—
Yes, just like the article says: once you see a bird, you’ve already achieved a small goal. Even if you accomplish nothing else that day, at least your mood will be better.
—
I think depression is partly because you’re alive but have no goal. Birdwatching is not necessarily an activity where you have to achieve something. You just go out and walk around, and if you see a bird, you win.
Birdwatchers also have a kind of companionship. Everyone is just an individual, but people who like birds can meet each other and talk about them. Compared with people who don’t birdwatch, it gives you much more companionship.
—
No matter whether you’re depressed or not, just remember this: birdwatching is much better than watching people.
—
Going outside and getting yourself moving is already something that’s very difficult to do.
—
For me personally, birdwatching is almost the same as having a form of medicine. Before this, I had been taking medication for two years without much effect. Another thing is that depression affects your sensory perception, especially your hearing. The world can become incredibly quiet—you can’t hear people speaking clearly.
Birdwatching has given me the chance to gradually reconnect with the world through my eyes and ears, and to open that door again.
—
I was really passionate about birdwatching during my depression. I felt that because birdwatching required regular outings, it would force me to go outside and engage in activities, which would also give the people around me a little peace of mind.
At that time, I was at my lowest. I didn’t want to interact with anyone at all, and I didn’t even want to go out. Friends and family were very worried about me and were constantly asking whether I was okay or trying to get me to go out and do things.
But when I went birdwatching, I could go out once or twice a week because I had a reason to get up and move around. At the same time, during that period I really didn’t want to communicate with anyone at all. Birdwatching meant that nobody would bother me.
If you didn’t deliberately approach me, I could even spend the whole day without having to speak to anyone. The best thing was that nobody knew me there, so there was no need to distinguish between people or explain myself.
That period was really when I suddenly became active again. Now that I think about it, there really were very few things that could make me happy. Birdwatching was one of them.
The comments describe birdwatching as something that gives people a reason to get up and leave the house. It provides manageable goals and reconnects them with nature. It allows social contact that can be less stressful than other forms of interaction. And it offers small achievements — sometimes just finding one interesting bird is enough.
Leave a Comment