Healthy habits ensure a healthy and a well-balanced life and help us to stay positive and in control, feeling safe. But which are these fruitful habits and how we can make use of them so we can be fully satisfied with our lives?
Studies have revealed that, when it comes to keep the positivity at high level and get rid of anxiety and stress, it is important to make sure we value ourselves, take care of our body, surround ourselves with good persons, set realistic goals, avoid alcohol and cigarettes, get help when we need it as well as to quiet our mind and apply various effective methods to deal with stress.
Pets are also well-known for their power to improve our life. You have probably heard about the main benefits a pet can bring into your life.
Michael Schoeff, an innovative entrepreneur in the pet industry, considers there are many unknown benefits for pet owners. Michael considers that pets are ideal for people who want to improve the quality of their life.
Pets lower the stress level
Time spent with animals lowers the cortisol which is the stress hormone and boosts oxytocin which stimulates feelings of happiness. A pet is an incredible source of calm and is good both for our physical and mental health. The company of a pet rises the serotonin and changes our mood.
Pets provide unconditional acceptance and love and always support us, no matter what. Just being around our pet and looking at him, helps to release the oxytocin. We experiment joy while the stress hormone decreases. Just several minutes in the company of a dog make us feel calmer and less stressed.
Dogs improve fitness
Furthermore, dog owners get more exercise during walks and play times. An active lifestyle and daily walks keep the cholesterol in normal limits. Dog walkers boost their fitness, a daily 30-minute walk, keeping them active and healthy. Yoga classes for dog owners are an opportunity both for people and their dogs.
Pets diminish blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
The company of a pet reduces our blood pressure. Studies have revealed that persons with hypertension that owned a cat or a dog have experienced a decrease by 50% of their blood pressure.
Lower cholesterol and stress combined with lower blood pressure and an active lifestyle reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Specialists from the American Heart Association have revealed that owning a dog is associated with a reduction in risk and increased survival among patients.
Pets improve the immune system of children
Children are less likely to develop allergic diseases, hay fever, asthma, respiratory infections and eczema if they grow up with a pet. Babies who are exposed to dogs in the first year of life are more likely to not develop allergies and respiratory infections. This is because they are exposed to dander and allergens and become less reactive to them over time, strengthening their immune system.
Pets are excellent to relieve pain and to keep away depression
If you owned a pet, you might notice his support during your hard periods or depressive episodes. Dogs are a great source for therapeutic and psychological wellbeing, lowering stress and boosting self-esteem, autonomy and competence. Being with our pet, makes us focus more on him instead of on our negative thoughts. Furthermore, our pet pays us attention and offers unconditional love and acceptance. This is really helpful for persons that suffer from depression.
Petting an animal releases endorphins, which are also powerful pain relievers and distract us from our pain and suffering.
Dogs improve family and social life
Pets have the power to gather the family members, some of them being responsible with feeding the pets and others with exercising them. On the other hand, children learn how to be kind and act carefully towards others, becoming more responsible.
Having a pet also makes other people talk to us and involves us in communities of pet owners, improving our social skills and making us become more confident and empathetic as well as eager to assume leadership roles.
Pets increase self-esteem
Pets are non-judgmental and don’t care what we look like or how we act, so they boost our confidence. They give us the feeling of belonging and offer meaning to our existence, increasing our self-esteem.
The studies as well as the practice have revealed that people that own animals are, by far, happier, more trusting as well as healthier. If you’re wondering how to improve your life, get your favorite pet and use all the methods that helps you stay in control of your own life.
Author Bio
Florentina Popa is the founder of A.I. ON WEB, a digital marketing agency. She has a strong passion for digital marketing technologies and is a content writer and social media manager for several small and medium companies located in the Southeastern Europe and USA. She loves to create articles about business, leadership, digital marketing, lifestyle, animals (especially dogs). She has a great collection of materials published on various online marketing, business and lifestyle websites. When she’s not online, Florentina loves exploring the mountains and local coffee shops with her dogs, traveling and discovering new cultures, watching movies and reading. ‘If you believe, you can achieve’ – that’s her motto!