Guest post: The feeling of being loved is crucial for mental health. When you see for yourself that people love you, you automatically feel useful and cherished. Most mental health problems result from loneliness and isolation. Pets are little bundles of joy and being with a pet mostly solves both of these problems. Not only do they provide us with a loyal company, but they also help us release oxytocin, which reduces stress.
It is also generally accepted that petting a dog or cat can significantly reduce anxiety. So much so that now dogs are also used in treatments. Cuddling a cat can make you happy in seconds, and also makes your cat a happy cat. So it’s a win-win situation.
Spending time with animals reduces anxiety and stress, as they give you love, companionship, and motivation. Let’s discuss how pets can help us lead healthier lives in so many ways.
1. Helps in getting rid of depression:
Pets turn out to be a massive motivation for their owner. In particular, dogs are fantastic for encouraging owners to exercise, which can benefit people with depression. Petting, sitting next to an animal, or playing can help you relax and calm your mind. Caring for a pet adds meaning and reward to your day as well as a sense of accomplishment. Pets also help you feel a sense of calmness, being lovable and needed.
There are various hormonal facts too that are involved in reducing stress when we interact with pets. And this reduction in stress hormones happens in just a few minutes. Playing with pets increases the level of hormones dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin that is involved in relaxing your mind and reducing anxiety. Meanwhile, it also reduces cortisol the stress hormone.
2. Makes you build more social terms:
While you take your pets out for a walk, you get a chance to socialize with other fellow humans. And it’s healthy for your mind to have more good relationships with people around you, so pets indirectly make you more social.
3. Makes you more punctual:
Having a pet can give you a purpose that will help improve mental health problems like depression and anxiety. When you have a pet, you are never alone and also responsible for looking after it. You will have received that wide-eyed look that says, “Time to eat, human.” Please feed me. “Animals love routines and routines are good for humans too. Pets encourage you to wake up, eat, play, exercise, and sleep regularly. Patterns give your day purpose and structure supportive factors for coping with depression, and I’m anxious.
4. Goodbye to loneliness:
A pet makes a great companion. They are like your family member and give you a sense of being someone to share your daily routine with. Pets can be a precious companion, especially for those who live alone, and for introverts, they are like therapy.
5. Companion of your old age:
Older people who experience the typical stress of life can be comforted by a pet. It is believed that a dog can be a stress reliever that reduces the effects of the harsh realities of life. Having a pet at home is believed to reduce anxiety levels in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
6. ADHD Patients:
Children with ADHD can benefit from work and having pets. When the child takes on the chores of caring for the animal, such as feeding, walking, and bathing, he learns to plan and be responsible.
Having pets to play with and playing with a pet is a great way to release excess energy. Your toddler can expend points walking a dog or running a kitten, making them more relaxed during the day and quieter at night. Children with ADHD are used to asking parents to calm them down or scold them. A pet is a great listener, offers unconditional love, and doesn’t criticize a child for having too much energy. This can help the child gain confidence.
7. Helps Autistic individuals:
Sensory problems are common in children with autism. Sensory integration activities are designed to help you get used to the sensation of something on your skin, smell, or sound. Both dogs and horses were used for this purpose. Children with autism often find it comforting to work with animals.
In the end, I will share a beautiful quote from Roger Caras about dogs that say;
“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our life lives whole.”