Living in the city has its own benefits – from living in close proximity to your office to having full access to your essentials. It’s basically become a goal for almost everyone in Australia and around the world to establish roots in an urban setting. However, city-dwelling also has its downsides, including a higher risk of mental health problems – with city dwellers having a 20% higher chance of suffering from depression, anxiety, and other psychological maladies.
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However, there’s one solution that some city residents have turned to, especially when the pandemic hit and lockdowns were put in place – pets. From offering unconditional affection to providing people with companionship, pets have helped millions of people stay mentally healthy even during challenging and uncertain times. This has caused an increase in puppy sales in New South Wales (NSW), shelter adoptions, and even animal fosters. In this article, we’ll talk about the various mental health benefits that having a pet at home can offer you, your family, and your loved ones.
- Reduced Anxiety
Anxiety is one of the top mental disorders experienced by a significant portion of the global population today – with about 14.4% of Australians suffering from some type of anxiety within a single given year. It is also one of the mental disorders that pet ownership can have a positive effect on.
This is due to the effects that it has on the production of stress hormones in the body, namely cortisol. You can lower your cortisol levels and increase the oxytocin production in your body by simply petting a dog or a pet. This is also one of the reasons why people who suffer from psychological disorders have emotional support dogs – 84% of them even attest to the mitigating effects of pets on post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.
- Better mood
Pets are big mood boosters since their energy and affection often cause increases in both serotonin and dopamine – hormones that are responsible for both relaxation and a general sense of happiness and contentment. These chemical reactions that pets trigger in human bodies are similar to the reactions that people experience when interacting with loved ones – including family and loved ones. In a way, pets can offer a sense of stability for people and can help them get moments of respite during times of conflict.
- Higher self-esteem and confidence
The benefits of owning pets have been proven in the development of children, with children growing up with pets exhibiting higher self-esteem and confidence. This has been linked to the unconditional affection and bond that pets afford children, offering them a safe space where they can confide in or express their thoughts without the fear of judgment. For adults, however, pet ownership can have a positive effect on self-esteem by building positive personal behaviors brought on by the love and empathy that pets give their owners.
- Improved emotional intelligence
People with pets often develop a deeper understanding of intrapersonal connections and communication. By owning a pet, people are given a chance to build positive habits, such as longer patience, better empathy, and improved emotional processing. People are also given the chance to learn a certain degree of responsibility and maturity – both of which are valuable assets in both personal and professional lives.
- Better well-being through routines
During the pandemic, lockdowns effectively altered the daily routine of many people around cities. Instead of leaving home and getting to interact with their co-workers or even classmates, many were left to depend on online interactions. Because of this interruption, people struggled as they coped with the absence of a work routine. With pets, people can build daily schedules around their pet’s needs, including feeding times and exercise, and get a semblance of balance and groundedness in their lives.
But Remember, Pets Aren’t a Universal Remedy for Your Mental Health Problems
It’s almost a non-contestable fact that pets offer various advantages both on a person’s physical and emotional health. This is probably why dog pounds and shelters experienced an influx of adopters during the first few months of the pandemic – as people were scrambling how to cope with unpredictability.
However, while people have experienced a renewed interest in providing homes to shelter animals and even puppies, adopting shouldn’t be seen as a universal remedy to mental illnesses. When you adopt a puppy, you’re signing up for long-term commitments. You shouldn’t see it as a short-term engagement wherein you can surrender them back when they don’t serve their purpose. Pets need stable and safe environments where they can thrive – and you need to provide them with the same unconditional love that they’re ready to show you.
Following this thought, before you finalize the adoption process, you need to be 100% sure that you’ll be committed to the lucky puppy, kitten, or any other pet that you choose as your lifetime companion.
