How watching animals can help you feel calmer and more present

It’s easy to feel scattered. Between notifications, always-on-the-go schedules, and background noise that never seems to stop, our brains rarely get a break. But sometimes, calm comes from an unexpected place – like quietly watching a giraffe chew, or noticing how an otter floats, completely unbothered by the world.

Animals are experts in presence. They move with purpose, rest without guilt, and respond to their environment in real time. When we take the time to truly watch them, animals gently pull us into a slower, quieter rhythm.

“The world around us is beautiful. It’s awe-inspiring. We just have to stop and notice,” says Angela Barber, Director of Conservation Learning at Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance (DZCA).

That’s mindfulness. And you don’t need a meditation app to practice it. All you need is just a few minutes with a curious lemur or a dozing lion.

Why watching animals helps us slow down

Animals aren’t rushing. They don’t multitask. They don’t scroll. Their behavior is steady, instinctive, and right now. That kind of presence is contagious.

When you watch an animal long enough, your own breathing starts to slow. Your eyes soften. You notice more – how they blink, shift their weight, interact with others. And for those few moments, your mind quiets down. You're not doing, you're just observing. That’s the essence of mindfulness: awareness without judgment.

The science behind mindful animal observation

Spending time in nature, or even just observing it, has real mental health benefits. Research shows that simply slowing down to focus on one thing, like the way an animal moves or rests, can have real mental health benefits:

• Lower stress hormone levels
• Boost mood and emotional resilience
• Improve focus and reduce mental fatigue
• Calm the nervous system and slow heart rate
• Increase feelings of empathy and connection

Even five minutes of quiet observation can reset your nervous system. And the more you practice it, the more your body remembers what calm feels like.

5 ways to practice mindfulness at the Zoo

Places like DZCA are perfect for this kind of quiet practice. With over 80 acres of walkable paths and hundreds of animals moving (or not moving) at their own pace, it’s an ideal space to pause, breathe, and observe.

Here are five simple ways to practice mindfulness through animal watching:

1. Pick one animal and stay with it for a few minutes

Find a quiet spot and just watch. Notice how the animal moves, rests, or eats. What details can you see when you slow down?

“If you pick a spot in front of a habitat – even sit down if you’re able to – and just give yourself 5 minutes to stop and watch, you’ll be amazed at how much more you notice,” says Angela.

2. Match their rhythm

Let your breathing mirror the animal’s movements. Watch the rise and fall of a sea lion’s chest or the steady blink of a tortoise and let it calm you.

3. Use your senses

What do you hear beyond the animal? What colors or textures do you notice? Can you smell the grass or feel the breeze?

4. Let your thoughts float by

If your mind wanders (and it will), gently return to the animal in front of you. Let it be your anchor.

5. Reflect or sketch afterward

Kids especially enjoy drawing the animal or telling a story about what they saw. Adults might jot down a few notes or simply sit with the calm a bit longer.

How DZCA designs for mindfulness

Beyond the animals themselves DZCA is designed with intention – to create moments of stillness and presence for visitors of all ages.

“The Zoo's horticulture team is truly amazing, and build so much beauty into green spaces, walkways, planters and animal habitats,” Angela points out. “It's easy to miss that layer if you just focus on the charismatic animals you came to see but take a minute to look at all the flowers and trees that surround you.”

Benches invite you to rest. Shaded paths give you a break from stimulation. And lesser-known spots encourage mindful wandering.

Angela shares, “Primate Panorama tends to be a place where the pathways are a little less crowded, and the shaded walkways are lovely. Don’t rush right to the gorillas and orangutans – stroll through the paths and let yourself be transported.”

And if you’re visiting with kids, don’t miss the Zofnass Barclay Family Nature Play Trail.

“It’s a space that is meant to encourage calm and mindfulness for children and caregivers,” says Angela. “Our educators help encourage those moments to stop and notice what’s around you.”

How to find mindful moments with animals anywhere

You don’t need a zoo pass to practice animal-inspired mindfulness. In fact, some of the best moments can happen right outside your window. Try watching birds flit between branches or squirrels chase each other across a fence. Even a few quiet minutes of focused observation can help shift your mental state.

At home, you might take a moment to simply observe your pet – how their chest rises and falls as they breathe, or how they stretch and settle into a nap. These everyday moments offer built-in opportunities to slow down.

If you’re near a park or nature area, find a bench or patch of grass, stay in one place, and just watch. Ducks gliding through water, bugs crawling along the path, or clouds drifting overhead all offer gentle anchors for your attention.

You can also bring the calm indoors. Many zoos, including DZCA, offer live webcams of animals in their habitats. It’s screen time that actually slows you down, not revs you up.

And if you’re practicing with a child, turn it into a playful activity: ask them to describe how their favorite animal moves, rests, or plays, and then try it out together. It's mindfulness through imagination, and it just might become your new favorite routine.

Let animals remind you how to just be

Animals model it beautifully. They show us how to be still without being bored. How to stay focused without forcing it. How to tune in to the world around us, instead of constantly reacting to it.

Whether you're standing in front of a flamingo pond or sitting at your kitchen window, watching an animal just be can help you remember how to be, too.

So next time your day feels noisy or off-track, take a moment to watch something wild. Let it bring you back to the moment you’re in. That moment might be exactly what you need.