When it comes to the mental well-being part, pets give us affection; they don’t judge, question us, or laugh at us. And they don’t discriminate against us because of our physical appearance or because of the mistakes we have made.
The specific benefits to mental well-being that come from owning and caring for a pet are listed below:
1. They avoid the feeling of loneliness
Having a pet in the home helps the person feel more confident and protected. It can also help avoid states such as depression due to feelings of loneliness, since its company encourages physical contact and communication. They may not speak, or they may not follow the conversation, but you know, with complete certainty, that you are not alone at home and that you have company.
2. Relieve depression
Depressed people do not feel the desire to relate. When a person maintains a bond with a pet, they have a reason to get out of bed. You may not feel like doing anything, but you know you have to feed him and in the case of dogs, for example, take him outside. The depressed person often does not vent to anyone, but they may feel able to talk to their pet.
3. They increase the feeling of happiness
Pet owners, after sharing a game time, experience an increase in oxytocin, the production of serotonin and dopamine is stimulated, at the same time that cortisol is decreased , all these hormones help reduce stress levels and are good antidote to depression.
4. Reduce stress
The team of psychiatrist Sandra Baker from Virginia Commonwealth University (USA) measured the brain waves of different dog owners before and after spending time with them. These studies have revealed that having a pet and petting it frequently helps reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression. So it is advisable to pet, play, walk and even talk with pets to clear the mind and feel well-being.
5. Increase the sense of responsibility
They hold us accountable for their care, and teach us to prioritize ourselves. In addition to being a playmate for children, growing up with a pet is an opportunity to teach them to be responsible and respect animals. Dogs, for example, become excellent teachers, an inexhaustible source of stimuli that awaken the child’s senses.
6. Improve social life
Often, going for a pet walk is the excuse to meet people: in the parks groups of dog owners form who coincide there, there are strangers who come to caress a puppy or there are conversations about anecdotes or the care of their pets.
7. They reinforce self-esteem
Pet owners are more likely to have higher self-esteem, scientists from the universities of Miami and Saint Louis concluded. It has also been observed that boys and girls with some difficulty reading aloud in front of their pet reinforce their security and self-confidence , since pets are not going to laugh at how they do it or if they make mistakes.
By Ms. María Luz Losada Somoza, member of Saluspot and psychotherapist at 2T Psicología Pontevedra.
