Many people may struggle with their mental health and are trying to find solutions to make it more manageable. Some people may not realize that pets can help those who are struggling with their mental health.
Pets can keep people company and not make them feel lonely by helping people realize that they will always have a companion who will always give them love and support.
According to the Forbes article “A Psychologist Explores the Transformative Power of Pets on Mental Health” by Mark Travers, there are two ways a pet can help create a safeguard for someone’s mental health, which are instilling a sense of purpose in life and help you stay physically active.
In the article, Travers described how when a person adopts a dog or a cat for the first time they can immediately feel a connection with them. They quickly form a special bond with each other, which can help someone realize that their life has a purpose just like how a pet has a purpose in life.
Travers also explained how pets can also encourage their owner to be more physically active because pets get their exercise by going on walks and playing fetch with their owners. They can give their owners the motivation they need to stay active and spend more time with them.
“For instance, most breeds of dogs need outdoor exercise to stay healthy,” said Travers.
If pets see their owners doing something like playing video games, watching movies, or being on their phone, they interrupt their owners. This is their way of getting their owner’s attention because they want to do something that is physically fun and active for both of them.
People are always looking to find a special connection and a connection between an animal will always be something special for a person to have in their life.
“It’s really about the need and want for a connection and love that a pet can reciprocate similarly to another human being,” said Jessica Avanscena, a licensed marriage and family therapist. She also works as a counselor for the Wellness Center at California State University Bakersfield.
Pets not only help with physical activity. They can also help decrease stress and boost your mood.
“I think pets help a lot with reducing stress and anxiety. I notice that with my dogs […] I like to have them because they always help me think better,” said Samantha Gomez, a human biology major from Cal State Bakersfield.
An animal can decrease someone’s daily stress by giving a person a lot of love, compassion, and empathy, especially dogs because they are known to be very empathetic to people.
Overall, having a pet is a great way to help someone forget about all the stressful things going on in their lives because they can help a person feel safe, happy, and loved.
