Stress and pets!
Stress and pets!
April is the month of National Stress Awareness and National Pet Month – two subjects that compliment each other very well!
Stress is a demon in its own right and can have a significant impact on an individual’s life. As someone with fibromyalgia, I know all to well how negatively it can affect you and those around you. So much so it can cost you your health, your relationships, your job, you name it, it can consume you if it’s not correctly managed.
Pets can also be little demons but I say that with warm, loving tones as opposed to the above. In fact, that’s a bit of a joke. Pets ARE awesome and they bring so much joy to life, so much so that I’d go as far as saying they improve our quality of life (for all those pet haters out there, this isn’t the post for you 🙂).
Scientific research has shown that by spending time around animals, cuddling them, engaging with them and exercising with them helps us to produce “feel good” hormones, subsequently reducing our stress levels and improving our overall health.
From my own personal experience, I highly recommend animal therapy. A small yet powerful (to me) example is when I’m working from home, which is 90% of the time, and I’m having a bad day, I just look out of my window and watch my little herd of guinea pigs and bunnies hop and spring around the garden. I immediately feel some sense of relief…I guess that’s the release of tension and the influx of “happy hormones.”
So, if you’re feeling stressed, regardless if it’s April or not, go and surround your-self with animals. Immerse your-self in their “living in the moment” world and take the time to speak kindly to your-self.
There are some amazing animal therapy centres out there that specialise in reducing stress, anxiety and other mental health disorders and I highly recommend visiting one, especially if you’re looking for an alternative way to combat stress or focus on team building within your organisation.
Here’s a pic with my own personal therapist (my daughter’s pony JJ)!