If you see your pet as a factor in improving your quality of life, you’re absolutely right. Having a beloved dog, cat, horse, rabbit, gerbil, or snake contributes to you feeling more needed, balanced, and able to cope with the world’s stresses.
How can this relationship make such a difference? The way we communicate with the animals in our lives is the secret. By using body language and household routines, we simplify our rapport and tap into more child-like emotions than we do with the more complicated relationships we have with people. That means less judgment and less pressure, easing up on the strain that could lead to depression.
1. Stress Hormones Plummet
The first studies of the physical effects of petting a dog showed that people relax their muscles, live in the moment, and breathe more slowly. Their blood pressure drops and their heartbeat mellows out. Just five minutes of hanging out with your dog causes your cortisol levels to let up, taking away some of your stress and anxiety. (Your dog wants you to know that more than five minutes is great too!)
Greeting your pet at the end of a long day is a great break between home and work life if you’re not working from home. Even if you are working from home, taking breaks to rub your face in their fur during coffee break helps.
If you have an anxious child, teaching them to trust the family pet and to spend time relaxing in its company could be a great remedy.
2. Happy Hormones Heighten
Meanwhile, stroking the fur of a pet releases more serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine, making you calmer and happier. That occurs at the same time as your blood pressure relaxes. This effect occurs in animal lovers and skeptics alike.
Laughing at your cat attacking a catnip-filled toy or a puppy chasing its tail also enhances our glee. While we may not allow ourselves permission to take breaks for other amusements, it is hard to ignore these Instagram-worthy moments of blissful silliness.
These factors combined help to support better mental health as your body gives you more upbeat messages. If you also feel less anxious, you cope better with stress and the possible onset of depression.
3. Pets Give Us Purpose
People who have been disappointed by human relationships may begin to believe they cannot do anything right. However, your pet is ecstatic when you simply come home, fill the food bowl, or take them outside for a short walk. Having someone relying on you gives you purpose.
More vitally, this is not just a ‘make-work’ job. Your pet counts on you for survival – providing food and water, cleaning up its messes, and providing affection. This imbues your days with meaning, which is rewarded with intense gratitude.
4. Friends, No Matter What
For kids, in particular, having trusted friends makes a huge difference in their self-esteem. It teaches them empathy, compassion, and communication, impacting their behavior as they grow into adults.
By having a pet, a child experiences less anxiety. That companion animal gives them a steady, loyal friend even if they encounter family strife, moves, or bullying. It also allows them to be kids: exploring while out in nature, dreaming out loud without worrying about being judged, and playing silly, repetitive games.
Isn’t that what being a kid is all about?
5. A Loyal Fan Club
Pets make us feel better about ourselves, by accepting us as we are. While society may focus on your weight, height, or hair color, your pet doesn’t get caught up in that type of thing.
Pet owners are also more fit, extroverted, well-adjusted, and conscientious while being less lonely, preoccupied, and fearful. It could be a result of our animals giving us a stronger sense of belonging, even if the cruel world is sending another signal. It’s like having a best friend who always tells you that you are awesome (because you are).
6. Mentoring Mindfulness
We can learn a lot from pets about just living in the present. With little control over the past or future, they simply soak up the sunshine or chase a ball with abandon. If you could just let go of the doubts in your mind and enjoy the moment, you allow more joy to enrich your days.
The adoption of meditation is becoming more popular for this very reason. And our pets were well ahead of the curve in Western societies. By just stopping to pet them, play with them, or commune with them, we are stopping and enjoying that precious time.
7. Developing Discipline
You may be tempted to sleep in until noon, but there is no way your puppy’s bladder will last that long. The next thing you know, you’re up and outside, seeing a glorious sunrise or realizing the sun feels wonderful. The walks you take together become a wonderful routine as you meet more neighbors and shed a few pounds.
By making us responsible, pets reward us with habits we know we should adopt but make excuses to avoid. They get us out on new hiking trails where we discover the quiet and beauty of nature.
Since they need this care every day, we cannot slide back to our old ways. Soon, new habits stick and we are better off as a result.
8. Better Communication
Once we’ve mastered communication and trust with our pets, it’s much easier to extend those skills to other humans. Children who are accustomed to talking to their dogs are less shy about striking up a conversation with adults. They are more aware of body language and moods, reading cues, and responding appropriately.
Having a pet also gives you an easy topic of conversation that is often universal. They give you more confidence, knowing they will be in your corner even if you fail at this attempt at a relationship. Since they get you out of the house more often, you’re automatically meeting more people.
9. A Healthier Mind
Now that you’re out of the house more and making new connections, you have better habits and a stronger support network for your mental health. That gives you a more optimistic outlook, more even emotions, and a better understanding of how others feel. The act of caring for a pet makes you think more of others, rather than being self-centered.
For people with severe mental health conditions, such as PTSD, having a pet distracts them from replaying negative thoughts and gives them something more positive to focus on. With a sense of duty and control, they feel more secure and less likely to consider suicide, since they don’t want to abandon the animals who rely on them.
10. Unlimited Doses of Unconditional Love
While people in your life may break up with you or disappoint you, your pet stands by you always. They are unimpressed if you get a promotion and raise or not; they just want your time, love, and attention. You can spread this love by volunteering to foster an animal or giving your time to an equine therapy facility.
If you are struggling to cope, you can seek out an emotional support animal, or have your doctor certify your pet as one. That allows it to travel with you to more places to keep you calm and functional.
The bottom line is that having an animal in your life makes it better, for both of you. You benefit from the relationship so make time to play with your pet daily and reap the rewards.
Reference
https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/well-being/pets-and-mental-health/
