Pet Breaks: Using Animals to Ease Your Anxiety
It’s no secret that pets and animals of all kinds can have an amazing effect on our lives. As you may have already discovered, there are many ways for animals to help you cope with difficult emotions. For many people, just petting an animal can have a huge calming effect. If you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed, take a break from what you’re doing and give your pet a little affection. If you’re having a particularly tough day or you’re dealing with a very stressful task, build in little “pet breaks” every so often. Set your alarm to go off every hour, or however often you want, to remind you to get up and have a little animal time. If you’re doing online school, consider using breaks between classes to give your pet some affection.
Of course every pet is different, and some are very clear about only wanting affection on their terms. And while some pets can sense your emotions and will come over to comfort you, not all are this emotionally intelligent. For both of these types pets, motivating them with a treat might be helpful!
If you’re an animal lover but don’t have a pet, the same idea can still apply, but using cute animal videos. Take a short break each hour to watch a few minutes of puppies cuddling, kittens playing, sloths... slothing - whatever makes you feel better! It’s important to note that it may be necessary to set a second alarm for when it is time to get back to the task, it’s easy to find yourself in a YouTube hole of endless videos of dogs carrying sticks that are too big for them. Some people also find it helpful to keep a folder of cute animal pictures or a playlist of cute animal videos so it’s easy to access when they need it. I’ve got a playlist here of some videos that I find cute, funny, and overall stress-reducing to get you started!
Currently, all my sessions are being conducted online due to Covid. While in some ways this may not be the ideal situation, there are definitely perks, including being able to have your pet with you during your session. Typically pets (that are not emotional support animals) are not allowed in therapy sessions, but online therapy makes this possible! Sometimes pets can provide us with the extra comfort and support we need to really open up in therapy. Many of my clients find great comfort from their cats, dogs, reptiles, etc, and I love getting to virtually meet them!
If you find your pet to be very helpful to regulate your emotions, you also might want to consider animal assisted therapy! There are therapists who are specifically trained to involve animals in their therapy, generally dogs and horses, and if you’re finding animals help you feel calm and regulated, this could be a great option for you.
Whatever types of animals you love, they can help you get through hard times and help ease difficult emotions. And just in case you were wondering, here is a picture of me my little stress reliever:
