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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rob_D" data-source="post: 1303942" data-attributes="member: 64991">Very interesting thread. It's good to hear what other people get out of birding. At this time of year I find I can find myself suffering from lethargy & mild depression which I put down to the rapidly shortening days and impending dark evenings which will stop me doing outdoor things I enjoy (maybe Seasonal Affective Disorder). I find birding really does cheer me up - fresh air and being out in the daylight surely help but I also think it's abit like meditation.I'm a believer in the physiological side of meditation and it's benefits for the mind, not so much anything spiritual. But I can't sit still easily so I find it hard not to fidget and be distracted indoors. So when I'm watching birds I get a peaceful environment (hopefully!) to concentrate on watching, few(er) distractions (no pagers for me!), and I'm not able to be thinking about other things whilst staying alert. If I'm listening for calls I'm forced to stay still too. Even more so with watching mammals like badgers or deer - often find myself hardly daring to breathe which again is like meditation. Seems to provide a positive benefit for me anyway.I don't really twitching so much. Driving long distances adds to my stress, and then there is often not much need to concentrate to find the bird, and not much peace and quiet either! Never mind the disappointment of dipping...Also a big believer in exercise for relieving stress, finished my first triathlon yesterday and felt great!</blockquote>

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