Humming makes you happy!
Friday 14 March 2008
Humming makes you feel happy, a new survey by ZSL London Zoo reveals. The simple art of pursing your lips and having a quiet hum is associated with feelings of happiness.
© ZSL
More than 60 per cent (67.7%) of people admit to humming when they feel on top of the world.
The survey was carried out by ZSL London Zoo as part of a campaign to Get London Humming as the Zoo prepares for the opening of its new tropical birdhouse, Blackburn Pavilion – the only one in the UK where hummingbirds can be seen.
Two thirds (66%) of those who hum do it along to the radio, but plenty use their time in the shower or getting from A to B in the car or on foot to hum a tune to themselves. Some of the more obscure answers included one person admitting to humming during sex and three claiming to hum most while they are eating!
Conversely, despite the fact that humming to themselves makes people feel happy, over half (51%) admit that the sound of other cheery people humming – especially if it’s out of tune – is annoying.
But the jolly pastime could be under threat from the growing use of MP3 players – almost half (49.5%) of respondents owning one said they would rather listen to music than entertain themselves with humming, whistling or singing.
The fact that humming makes you happy hasn’t shocked Zoo staff though. Zoo spokesman Simon Rayner said: “Plenty of animals have a range of sounds designed to communicate different feelings like fear or contentedness, so it’s no surprise that humans can also provoke certain responses or convey feelings through sounds other than speech.”
450 people took part in the online Get London Humming survey.