It was in 2014 that I began to take more of an interest in birdwatching as a hobby and I had also started to recognize just how positive I felt when I was immersed in the world of birds. My worries seemed to fade into insignificance and when I was feeling stressed， if I counteracted it with some time outside， watching them， it drifted off like birds do， in a stiff breeze. I became aware of some relief from certain symptoms—low mood and lack of motivation—and noted elation and what I would describe as ‘ultra-positivity’.

2014年，我开始对观鸟这项爱好产生更加浓厚的兴趣。我也开始发现，沉浸在鸟儿的世界中，自己竟是如此积极乐观。烦恼似乎变得微不足道。当我感到压力时，如果走到户外，花些时间观鸟，压力就会消解，像鸟儿一样在劲风中飘散。我意识到观鸟不仅缓解了某些症状，如情绪低落和缺乏动力，还明显提振了心情，带来我所说的“超积极状态”。

I keep talking about it， but what actually is mental health？ UK mental health charity Mind1 defines good mental health as ‘being generally able to think， feel and react in the ways that you need and want to live your life’. This is an excellent and succinct definition， with ‘bad’ mental health being the polar opposite： a cloud of irrationality， darkening and subduing everything. Mind provides some stark statistics about mental health in the UK with the most common and also most recognized mental health problems， anxiety and depression， affecting 5.9 and 3.3 people in every 100.

我一直在讨论心理健康，但它究竟为何？英国心理健康慈善机构Mind把良好的心理健康状态定义为“一个人在生活中通常能按照自己需要和想要的方式来思考、感受并应对”。这是一条精准凝练的定义。心理健康状态不好则与之截然相反，它就像一团非理性的乌云，让一切变得黑暗且压抑。Mind组织提供的一些有关英国心理健康的数据令人触目惊心。其中，焦虑和抑郁是最具普遍性与认知度的心理健康问题。焦虑症和抑郁症的患病率分别为5.9%和3.3%。

Mind has coined the term ecotherapy， stating that it describes a range of regular and structured activities that take place outdoors and are beneficial to wellbeing. I became instantly aware that birdwatching—at least how I regarded it—was a form of ecotherapy.

Mind组织创造了“生态疗法”这个词。据他们所述，生态疗法是指定期进行的一系列有组织且利于身心健康的户外活动。我立刻意识到观鸟——至少在我看来——就是一种生态疗法。

Garden bird feeding is by far the easiest and most accessible way to engage with birdwatching. Nature and birdwatching can offer us a great deal of stability. In the life of someone living with daily mental health issues these consistencies can act as an anchor to the present and provide grounding2. Take time to notice the simple pleasures around you， especially when it comes to your garden bird community. Welcome the brazen blackbird as he cocks his head on your lawn， searching for worms. Embrace the characterful robin， singing from every available song post and shadowing you as you turn over your flowerbeds. Take notice.

去花园喂鸟是最简单、最易实现的观鸟活动。