The Power of Pets
As World Mental Health week draws to a close, we highlight the power of pets the many reasons why pets are good for our mental wellbeing.
It’s no secret that owning a pet brings happiness, comfort, and companionship to our everyday lives. In many ways, too, pets can help improve both our physical and mental health. With World Mental Health Day taking place earlier this week (on October 10th), we wanted to highlight the benefits of pet ownership for our mental wellbeing, and how caring for an animal can make our lives happier and healthier!
✿ 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬 ✿
Because our pets require our care and assistance every day, this can help us to build a routine of healthy habits. For example, many dog owners are more inclined to walk, run, jog or hike on a weekly basis to keep their pet healthy and entertained, therefore meeting their own exercise requirements as well. As such, spending more time outside of the house also increases our physical and mental health. Most pets also fall into a feeding routine and will wake their owners up at the same time every morning, giving us a reason to get up and start our day. Creating a regular sleep routine is good for our mental state and pets can help us in this task! That’s the power of pets!
✿ 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ✿
Along with providing companionship for their people, pets also support their owners in creating friendships and connections with other humans. Animals make socializing easier as they provide a common topic to talk about with other pet owners.
People who walk their dog daily are also more likely to bump into other people walking and therefore create a gateway of social interaction and connection. In other words, animals can help create friendships and in turn, reduce loneliness and social isolation. That’s the power of pets!
✿ 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐮𝐬 𝐁𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐮𝐥 ✿
Sometimes life can get away from us when we constantly worry about our past and future situations and problems. However, our animal companions have no such worries and constantly live in the present moment. Because of this, they aid in teaching us mindfulness, which is the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to the present.
By focusing only on the present moment, our brains can relax as we start to become calmer and more rational in our thinking and behavior. We can learn a lot from our furry companions. That’s the power of pets!
✿ 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐦 ✿
Going along with being caretakers, knowing that pets love unconditionally and without judgement has been proven to increase their owner’s sense of self-worth. Knowing that your pet will be loyal to you and provide unbiased attention regardless of your life’s situations gives us a boost of self-esteem that is unlike other feelings of confidence. That’s the power of pets!
✿ 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 ✿
The rewarding act of caretaking has many mental health benefits, as caring for another living being gives us a sense of purpose and meaning. Knowing that our pets rely on us for their basic needs and quality of life makes us feel special and wanted, traits that can increase dopamine as well as relieve loneliness and depression. Plus, the act of doing good makes us feel good as well as leads to a longer life. That’s the power of pets!
✿ 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 ✿
The simple act of petting or playing with an animal has shown to lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, as well as lower blood pressure. The overall health effects of stress and high blood pressure on the body can be detrimental, which is why interacting with animals as much as possible can have a huge impact on both mental and physical health. This is why animal-assisted therapy is so effective as well. That’s the power of pets!
✿ 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐱𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ✿
Studies have shown that interacting with a friendly animal for as little as five minutes helps our bodies to release serotonin and dopamine, two hormones that relax the nervous system and help to create a sense of calm in the body. The more we smile and laugh while interacting with the animal, the more these hormones are released as well. Becoming and staying calm is a huge benefactor for improving our mental wellbeing, and animals can aid us in this relaxation process. That’s the power of pets!
