Dogs are known to be man’s best friend. They offer companionship, unconditional love, and are always there when you need them most. But did you know that dogs can also help with anxiety? Dogs have been proven to reduce stress levels in humans because of their presence alone. Dog therapy is a common treatment for people who suffer from a social anxiety disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder. These can also help those who suffer from an anxiety disorder. Studies have shown that the mere act of stroking a dog has anti-anxiety effects on humans.
Why Do You Need Dogs In Your Family?
These are some of the benefits when you have dogs in your family:
- They give unconditional love to you and your family members.
- You get a lot of physical exercise when you take them for walks, play games with them, or train them.
- Dogs can help children learn about responsibility. This is by taking care of the dog in certain ways such as feeding it and playing with it.
- Having dogs at home will reduce feelings of loneliness. It is because they provide company while doing other things like watching TV, eating dinner, or reading a book.
- Dogs ask fewer questions than human beings. This means that people who suffer from social anxiety won’t have to answer too much if their anxiety is high enough already. This is just by having someone around asking how they feel over and over again.
- They help to teach your children too.
- When you get under stress they can give you company. They also make you feel less alone because dogs are there for us.
How Do Dogs Help With Anxiety?
Anxiety is an emotion that makes people feel stressed and anxious. It can be triggered by many things. These are such as losing a loved one, getting fired from work, or not having enough money for the bills to get paid on time. Those who suffer from anxiety experience panic attacks. This makes their hearts beat faster than normal. It is because of how they react in certain situations. These situations are like when someone scares them while watching a horror movie with friends or family members. Dogs have been proved to be a great way to battle anxiety. This is because they help to overcome anxiety problems. These are the 11 ways how dogs help with anxiety:
Give Emotional Support
They surely give you emotional support and help in times of need. When you are feeling low, they make us feel comforted and safe by their mere presence alone. The emotional support that pets give to their owners is one reason why they are so beneficial.
Ease Loneliness
Dogs help with anxiety by reducing feelings of loneliness. It is because people who suffer from social anxiety become more anxious in public places. These are where there aren’t any dogs around them. This makes it harder for a person with social phobia to do things. These things are like going on a date or meeting new people at parties and other gatherings. They can reduce those symptoms just by being there as emotional support animals.
Provide Companionship
Companionship is an important part of having your dog sleep beside you while you’re sleeping alone every night. It’s also another benefit of owning a pet instead of spending time alone without feeling lonely inside your home all day long doing nothing but watching TV, surfing the internet, or reading a book.
Reduce Stress
Dogs help with anxiety because they lower stress levels in humans. This is by being around them without asking too many questions. It is unlike human beings who ask us how we are doing all of the time which can be stressful for some people. Just having someone around you without talking is enough to make your day better and reduce feelings of loneliness as well as stress from work or school! Dogs have been proven to reduce those symptoms just by being there while their owners are going through hard times whether it’s at home or out on an errand somewhere else.
Build Social Support
When you’re feeling low, dogs give social support. This reduces sadness and depression caused by withdrawal from family members and other friends. Even though they’re not human beings, dogs still provide social support. This can help you get better from anxiety and depression. It is just by being there for you as a companion who won’t judge or criticize your problems as some people would do. This is why pets are great to have around at all times.
Help In Exercise
There’s no doubt about it: exercising with your dog every day will make the two of you healthier and happier together. When you exercise with your pets like walking them daily or playing games such as fetch outside in the yard, then you both benefit. This is because humans become stronger physically. This is while their four-legged friends lose weight too after those walks where they chase you down the street trying to catch something thrown over and over again until they are completely out of breath.
Build Routine
Having a routine is always better than not having one at all. Dogs help with anxiety by forcing their owners to develop structure and schedules in daily life. This reduces stress from lack of organization or disorderliness when it comes to doing things like going outside for walks, feeding them, exercising together as well as brushing their fur every week.
Reduce Blood Pressure
Dogs can reduce blood pressure levels. This is because they make you relax and calm down after you’ve been through hard times such as losing your job or dealing with family problems that cause depression. They also lower those symptoms caused by insomnia too. This is another mental health condition where people don’t sleep properly due to the thoughts running through their heads each night before bedtime without realizing how much time has passed until they wake up the next morning feeling tired and groggy.
Ease Anxiety Attacks
Anxiety attacks are horrible to deal with because it’s like having a heart attack but without the chest pains or shortness of breath that comes along with those kinds of symptoms during an anxiety attack. This is why dogs help with anxiety by being there for you when you’re not feeling well enough to go outside, take walks, exercise together as well as play games at home. Their presence alone makes you feel better all over again even though your dog can’t talk back. It is unlike people who tell you what to do each day whether it’s good advice or bad. That is why you should just keep in mind how much comfort your pet brings into your life every single day.
Build Social Skills
Dogs can help children and adults with autism develop social skills. It is because they’re not judgmental like some people would be. This is when it comes to interacting with others that have disabilities. If you or your child has been socially isolated from friends, family members, as well as other kids at school then having a pet dog, is the best way for them to finally come out of their shells. This is by giving them companionship without being rude about certain symptoms caused by anxiety disorders. These are such as stuttering during conversations or avoiding eye contact. This also helps those who suffer from depression too. So just keep in mind how much responsibility caring for a dog teaches us each day.
Improve Self-Esteem
Dogs help with anxiety because they make you feel needed, loved, and important by wanting to be around their owners each day which also increases self-esteem too. Those who have low self-confidence or are hesitant about being in social situations don’t realize that bringing a pet dog into their lives will give them the confidence boost they need just from feeling wanted all over again where pets can sense when you’re not having a good day so always remember how your furry best friend is there for you no matter what happens. Having a four-legged companion means never having to worry about loneliness or other people thinking badly of you either since dogs ignore those things completely without any concern at all.
Conclusion
At the end of a long, stressful day at work or school, you might find yourself seeking out an animal to cuddle with. You’re not alone in this desire. In fact, many people have found that there’s something about being around animals that helps calm them down and reduces their anxiety levels after a tough day. This is because our brains release oxytocin–a hormone responsible for feelings of bonding and trust–around pets as well as other humans. And while it depends on your individual needs and preferences, research has shown that dogs are excellent companions for those suffering from mild-to-moderate anxiety. There are some dog therapies to reduce anxiety.
For more information, please contact MantraCare. Anxiety is a common mental health condition characterized by persistent feelings of worry, fear, and apprehension. If you have any queries regarding Online Anxiety Counseling experienced therapists at MantraCare can help: Book a trial Anxiety therapy session
