Having a pet is a great way to reduce stress and improve your emotional, mental, and physical well-being.
Do you want to reduce stress? Burn more calories? Feel happier?
Get a pet.
Pets provide more than unconditional love. Owning a pet improves your emotional and physical health. People who spend time with pets often notice the following benefits.
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An increase in the level of oxytocin in your body
Oxytocin is a hormone that helps your body heal and grow new cells.
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Quicker recovery time
In the 1800s, a nurse named Florence Nightingale discovered that spending time with pets helped patients to recover faster.
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Other health benefits
Today, animal-assisted therapy programs use pets to help veterans and others recover from PTSD. Pet owners have lower blood pressure and cholesterol, both of which can prevent a heart attack.
How to choose your pet
You should choose a pet based on how much time you have, your available resources, and where you live.
Yes, there are hypoallergenic pets.
If you prefer dogs and have allergies, some breeds are hypoallergenic.
I developed severe allergies as a child. But we have two rescue dogs: a Morkie named Simba and a Malchi named Chico. They reduce our mental, physical, and emotional issues. They keep us laughing and smiling every day. And they do not bother my allergies.
Simba is a persistent and entertaining alarm clock. I like to sleep in. Simba does not. He wakes me up by standing on our bed and whining or barking. If his noise fails to wake me, he licks me. He has soft hair that tickles when he licks me. I am very ticklish. My husband laughs every morning when Simba wakes me up. I laugh too when he tickles me.
Chico makes us laugh too. When he grabs one of Simba’s toys and runs away, he starts an extremely amusing game of chase. We laugh the entire time the dogs are chasing each other.
Pets are expensive, but so are medical bills. My husband’s open heart quadruple by-pass surgery cost over $120,000. Now Simba and Chico reduce his blood pressure by keeping him laughing. And laughter is the best medicine!
You need to reduce your stress any way you can.
Get a pet if nothing else has helped you.
Let the encouraging words in these near a river posts help you
soar like an eagle above life’s storms.
Do you struggle with PTSD?
You can survive and remain sane.
Be kind to yourself and love yourself.
Do you fight a daily battle with depression?