Having a stressful day? We’ve all heard about breathing exercises, meditation and taking breaks but what about cuddling a pet instead? Pets are more than just cute furry creatures. It has been shown that they also help improve our overall health and well-being. One of the major benefits is that they help decrease stress, so let’s see why.
Heart
Pets help to improve people’s heart, by regulating its rate and lowering blood pressure. This is one of the health benefits from what has been described as ‘the pet effect’. The study shows that by simply patting, or watching them, the cardiovascular health of an individual can be vastly improved.
Moving About
Furthermore, pets keep you on your feet, especially ones like dogs, which require you to take them out for walks. This encourages a healthier lifestyle and a form of exercise being incorporated into your daily routine. In return, exercise has been said to help deal with stress management, and promoting an overall healthy state of living.
Improve Your Mood
It has been proposed that pet owners are less likely to experience depression compared to those who do not own one. Pets are great companions to deal with loneliness and isolation, by offering affection and being a good form of distraction away from life’s stresses.
Social Health
Additionally, pets help to improve social skills, by developing better communication and interaction. Pet owners are able to read and respond to the animal’s behavior, which can help develop their overall ability to interpret and be aware of human contact. This helps to encourage better relations between people, and encourage a clearer understanding of behavior. A better understanding of people also helps to reduce stress.
Not ready for the responsibility of owning a pet? No problem. You do not necessarily have to buy a pet, but, simply being around one will help. Could it be time to introduce an office pet?
Don’t forget to share your pictures of you and your furry friends with us here @thinkproductive
By Rosie To