The Stress-Relieving Powers Of Pets

Nothing makes most pet owners happier than coming home to the kisses of their puppy. Perhaps the meowing and brushing up of their cats on their legs. Young kids love coming home from school to watching their goldfish swimming back and forth. There is a reason for this excitement.

Animals make us happy. They make us so happy that we overlook when they have accidents in our homes or chew through electric cords.

But why is this? Why do we love animals so much?

Typically it is because animals simply love us, no matter what. They reduce our stress and anxiety in ways that other interventions often do not.

Animals reduce our stress in so many different ways. They are truly powerful creatures. Here are some of the ways that animals reduce our stress and help us to maintain our health and wellness.

No Matter What We Do, Our Pets Love Us Without Judgement

Pets are so healing. No matter what we have to say to them or what secret we tell them, they love us anyways.

Often times we are worried about the judgement that our friends, family, and even community members are passing on us. Because of this we struggle to establish sincere relationships.

But our pets will never judge us and they seem to always love us, even if we could be walking them more or playing with them more. For this we should always be truly grateful for our pets.

They Help Prompt Us To Exercise

Would you always be walking twice a day if you didn’t have a pet? If not, you can thank your pet for helping you to exercise more as we know that exercise is an important stress reliever.

Dogs especially have to be walked often, but some breeds may be prompting you to run or hike.

They Have Sensory Benefits

One of the stress relieving benefits of pets can be simply petting them. I know that I have gotten lost in petting my dogs and it seems like everything becomes a bit calmer. The anxiety begins to melt away.

There are sensory benefits for many people just by touching the fur of an animal or feeling the warmth on their hands. Especially for people with disabilities, animals can be stress reducing in this way. As a result of this, you will see many people petting their service animals in the community.

People often snuggle with their animals. They help us at night by curling up with us and loving on us in this way.

Pets Bring People Together

Pets often needs to be socialized with other pets. This could include going to dog parks or pet stores where the pet owner will meet other peers who own pets as well. Many friendships have been established in this way. Pets prompt people to become more social and this reduces stress.

Feeling connected to like-minded individuals helps people feel calmer and less anxious than individuals who are more isolated in nature. If pets are the modality in which you do this, this is a benefit of having a pet!

Increase Oxytocin Levels

Oxytocin, often referred to as the “love hormone”, is released by people when they interact with pets.

Oxytocin is a neuromodulator involved in social bonding and released between people who are strongly and often intimately connected. Oxytocin reduces stress and anxiety and prompts overall wellness and wellbeing.

We can thank our pets for helping us with loving more because it is making us healthier!

Decrease Cortisol

Cortisol is released in our bodies when we become extremely overwhelmed. It is essentially the stress hormone. It is released when we go into “freeze, flight, or fight” states and are in significant fear.

Cortisol helps to control blood sugar levels, regulate metabolism, help reduce inflammation, and assist with memory formulation. If too much or too little is released in the body, there can be negative consequences with our health and how we feel stress.

Pets help to reduce cortisol levels so they are at normal levels, promoting wellness and reducing stress.

Pets Are Hysterical

Our pets do the funniest things. Mine will tear apart a toy and get pieces of the squeaker stuck in her hair. I’m not sure how she does it but it is so funny. They make us laugh every day. This reduces our stress and anxiety and increases our happiness.

People literally spending hours watching funny videos of dogs and cats on YouTube. This is very common and both laughter and smiling are known to reduce stress.

Most pet owners probably couldn’t count how many times per day their pets make them smile, but it’s likely the number is pretty high.

We Feel Safer Because Of Them

Many people feel safer in their homes or out on the streets in their communities if they have their pet with them. Especially people who experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder may feel safer if they have a dog at home who will bark if something were to happen to them.

Most people have imagined what they would do if someone broke into their home or tried to approach them in the community in an unsafe way. Most people with pets imagine their dog keeping them safe.

This in itself, despite ever being likely to occur, helps reduce stress.

Lower Blood Pressure

Studies show that individuals with pets have lower blood pressure on average than individuals without pets. Blood pressure is inherently connected with stress. When we feel stress our blood pressure tends to be higher. When it is reduced, it tends to lower.

Pets could be reducing our blood pressure by reducing our stress or reducing our likelihood to be stressed by having an overall lower blood pressure.

Pets Help Us Maintain Our Routines

Pets need routine. They prefer to be fed, walked, and to go outside around the same time every day. Because of this, they build in routine for us. We wake up and get ready typically around the same time so that we can meet their needs. Pets are similar to children in this way.

Maintaining a routine is good for our health. It reduces stress by reducing the likelihood that we will experience spontaneous events outside of our control because we will be sticking to a schedule.

While we cannot control it all, pets do help us to maintain a normal routine every day, which reduces our stress.

Conclusion

While this guide was not intended to prompt you to run out the door to your local pet store and buy a new family member, it might not be a bad idea.

It may actually be a healthy decision if you struggle to maintain your stress and even anxiety. Pets are statistically shown to reduce stress and improve wellness.

Pet owners engage in healthier activities such as walking and running. They make friends with other people when they go to dog parks. They enjoy laughing with and cuddling their animals. They feel loved and not judged.

Pets are truly magical stress-reducing creatures.

Additional Resources

These are suggestions for those who wish to delve deeper into any of the above:

1. Funny Pet Videos