Furry Friends Help Mental Health
Nothing beats coming home to a loyal companion after a hard day of work. It turns out science has something to do with that. Research supports that time with animals lowers the stress hormone - cortisol, and boosts oxytocin - which stimulates feelings of love and happiness.
The American Heart Association also touts these benefits:
Pets can reduce work-related stress. Two out of three employees say work stresses them out and 40% say their job gets in the way of their health. Studies show that pets in the workplace help reduce stress and improve employee satisfaction.
Pets can help increase productivity, wherever you work. When a dog joins a virtual meeting, group members rank their teammates higher on trust, team cohesion, and camaraderie.
Pets help manage anxiety. Now more than ever, many people are feeling anxious or struggling with mental health. Pets provide companionship and support.
Pets can help you be more active. They give you a reason to get outside, get some fresh air, and get active. This is proven to improve your mood, sleep, and mental health.
Pets provide a sense of togetherness. The bond with a pet helps you to not feel alone. When owners see, touch, hear or talk to their companion animals, it brings a sense of goodwill, joy, nurturing, and happiness.
If you don’t have a pet or can’t have a pet, here are some ideas to consider:
Adopt a pet – there are many sweet, loving animals that need a good home. I used to volunteer for an animal rescue organization and one of my good friends runs one. One thing I know to be true is that adopted animals seem to know they were rescued and often express that love more obviously
Volunteer - If you can’t have a pet, hang out with a friend who does or volunteer at a shelter or rescue organization. Many animal rescue organizations are limited by the number of volunteers they have. You can volunteer to help at an adoption fair or foster an animal in your home short term. The love you get in return is so worth it.
Go to the zoo -This is a great way to experience different kinds of animals in all their uniqueness and cuteness. For 9 months of my life, I worked for a local science center that had a small zoo. The highlight of my day was walking through the zoo to watch the animals do their thing. I never left the zoo without a smile on my face.
If you are in a mental. health crisis and you need immediate help, call 911. There is also a new national mental health hotline you can reach by dialing 988. It offers 24/7 call, text, and chat access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing suicidal, substance use, and/or mental health crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress.
Inquiry Question: How can you bring a furry friend into your life?
Click here to sign up to receive these emails in your IN box every Monday