Psychology and Animals

What do you think about spending time with animals? That they're cute and fun? Well it actually goes much deeper than that. It's actually a fantastic way to cope with your emotions, meaning that it can drastically help with your mental health. Over time, studies have shown that pets have many therapeutic benefits, such as, reducing stress levels, combating the feeling of loneliness, and providing stability.

While spending time with your loved pets, it's proven that our bodies decrease cortisol levels and mood boosting hormones like oxytocin and serotonin increase. But how does that work? How do animals alter hormones? Oxytocin is a hormone that is essentially in charge of regulating  our behaviors when it comes to social cues. It promotes affection and generally anything to make you feel better. In fact, some research even shows that oxytocin even plays a role in the behaviors of dogs and how they act around humans. So, the next time you're playing fetch with a dog or scratching their ears, keep in mind that both your oxytocin hormones and those of your pet are increasing.

Therapy animals that are usually found in hospitals, psychology clinics, or even at schools have significant impacts on patients. Dogs can be used to ease stress in many different environments in the tiny span of just 15 minutes. Although these animals don't have to be trained to provide this help, they also don't need to be service animals. Even the cats you see on the streets have great potential to make you feel better.

But what if you don't have a pet, what can you do?

• Volunteer at a pet shelter

• Adopt/Rescue a pet

• Be a pet-sitter

• Visit a friend that owns pets

Overall, our furry friends offer amazing coping benefits that we sometimes don't notice. But now that you know, spending only 15 minutes with an animal will certainly make you feel lighter and happier!