Figure 1; https://www.dogingtonpost.com/how-sharing-your-life-with-a-dog-can-reduce-stress-improve-your-life/
When human beings think of reducing stress, some of the methods that come up in their minds are having yoga or meditation programs. However, these are great but complicated techniques that may not give the desired results.
Nevertheless, did you know that you can relieve your stress by making new best friends? Well, we all know that human friends are the right pillar of happiness and hope in our lives. However, they will never make us fully healed, like having furry dogs or cats for friends. If you are the kind of human who finds solace in befriending and taking care of animals, this is the best therapeutic way for stress relief and social support.
However, remember to reciprocate his love by offering all the grooming services that he needs. For example, you can use the best dog clippers for matted hair to detangle his fur.
Here are different ways through which your dog can help to reduce your stress.
- Getting out of the house
A stressed person rarely walks out of the house. All you want to do is lay in bed and meditate on all the bad happenings in your life. However, staying in your home without getting some fresh may understand the situation worse, and it could accelerate the symptoms of stress.
If you have a dog, make it a habit of walking him either in the morning or late in the evening. Having a dog, therefore, encourages one to walk out of the house, and it could be a way of reducing stress.
- Increased physical exercise
When one is stressed, they are encouraged to hit the gym or have some jogs in their area. This is because increasing the levels of physical activity gives both physical and mental health benefits. Exercising also leads to a reduction of stress hormones in the body.
Having a dog means that you are required to make several rounds of walks, and in the process, you may play along. As you aim to care for your dog’s fitness, you will end up improving your mental health, thus reducing stress.
- Socializing with other people
When one is an introvert who finds pleasure in staying behind closed doors, they may be at a higher risk of getting depressed as compared to other people. Stress also makes one less inclined to socialize with other people. If you make this your daily trend, the vicious circle may eventually send you to an early grave.
Having a dog ensures that you can socialize with people since more people will want to touch your dog but will have to talk to you first. This will be a starting point for initiating a conversation with other people. In the process, you will regain your self-esteem and therefore find ways of bouncing back to a happy life.
- Leads to increased levels of oxytocin hormones
Oxytocin is commonly known as the feel-good hormone. This is because the abundance of this hormone makes one feel happier and stress-free. If you encounter something that generally makes you happy, it will lead to the production of this hormone.
Having a pet for a dog means that the animal makes you happy, therefore stimulating the body in the production of more oxytocin. Petting dogs will consequently lead to a happier life where one’s stress is suppressed to the minimum.
- Reduced loneliness
If you are lonely at the moment, it may exacerbate the stress in you. A lone person will find it hard to cope with difficult moments in life. Fortunately, owning a dog is one of the best ways to overcome this problem.
With a dog, one is assured of a proper companion who will continuously keep your emotions in check. This will mean that you will be in a better position to cope with traumatizing experiences such as breakups, grief, or failure. That is the reason why people who have lost their spouses are advised to get dogs for comfort.
- Making you laugh
The wise man once said that laughter is the best medicine. There is a level of truth in this old saying. With a peal of good laughter, you will have an opportunity to relieve tension as well as reduce the impact of stress in your life.
A dog is a fascinating creature through their funny facial expressions, and also their naughty behavior. If you often laugh by merely looking at your dog, then it is time to have one as your stress reliever.
Having a dog as a pet brings immense happiness in one’s life. That is why a more significant percentage of people have dogs for pets. If one aims at living a stress-free, they should consider having lots of dogs as pets.