A new way of relaxing at home

Written by: Marcelo Martins from Brazil

Email: itsmarcelomartins@gmail.com

When we have an anxiety attack, sometimes we wish to be little paper planes to fly away and then fall somewhere else that makes us feel safe. We know that it can be awful for those who have it, and it can be extremely tiring for both the emotional and the physical body. Otherwise, everyone has their own way to deal with it, whether doing yoga or having a great cup of tea, but have you ever thought that having a pet can help you fly a little further away from this stress by reducing your anxiety?

Before we can start any debate or further explanations, it’s important to remember that beyond any study, everyone who has a pet at home knows the benefits that these pets can do for us, especially when we face our saddest and most conflicting moments.

These small furry sources of affection and energy are capable of bringing harmony and happiness even in the most difficult moments and their positive effects on our mental health are evident — it’s no coincidence that they are often used to help in different treatments, as we already said here in the post “Pet therapy and how pets help us with our own health”.

Recently, several studies have begun to reveal scientifically the benefits of the connection between humans and animals, especially when we talk about our mental health. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), animals can have a profound effect on their owners, helping to alleviate stress, anxiety, depression, and feelings of loneliness and social isolation.

About the subject, Keith Humphreys, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, says that "Holding and stroking a pet is calming for many people, even those without anxiety problems”, and he adds saying that "When we focus attention on taking care of a pet, it help takes our mind off of our own worries”.

Small things like being around whenever you need to and providing you with some kind of distraction become big things and make a huge difference for people who suffer from anxiety. Along these lines, the National Parks Services indicates a large number of studies that highlight the psychological benefits of owning and interacting with pets. Whether interactions are active or passive it tends to lower anxiety levels on subjects, and thus decrease the onset, severity, or progression of stress-related conditions.

But we don’t stop there!

The interactions with animals can also be useful in helping manage long-term mental health conditions. According to the National Institutes of Health, interacting with animals have shown to decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure.

In addition to the pet’s adoption, one of the ways to have this type of therapy is with the use of the psychiatric service dogs, one type of service dogs that are trained to help a person accomplish necessary tasks and protect them from harm, so they typically assist people who have mental health conditions that interfere with their day-to-day lives. When we talk about anxiety, they help bringing medication or water to help swallow medication, or a phone over during an anxiety attack, which you can use to call your therapist or other support system, for example — but it’s important a recommendation from a medical doctor or licensed mental health professional.

For that reason, when we talk about anxiety we are talking about health and, as a consequence, besides having the company of our pets, we also need to be careful with our own health. As a result of that, besides cats and dogs, there are a large number of other ways that you can deal with your anxiety. According to the ADAA, there are many coping methods to deal feelings of anxiety or stress, and a few of ways that you can deal with these issues include: take a break of some activities that potentially makes you feel anxious, reduce the amount of alcohol and caffeine (because these substances interfere in the levels of various neurotransmitters and, consequently, in our behavior), sleep well and exercise too, for example.

Overall, pets provide great benefits for their owners, not only as a sense of companionship but for emotional and mental problems too!

In closing, the next time you need to de-stress, consider consider taking a few minutes out of your day and use it with your dog or cat, with a pet owner friend or at a local shelter, because this is definitely a great experience for your body and mind.

Last but not least, don't forget that anxiety is a serious thing and if you feel the need, go to the doctor and make an appropriate appointment!