The unconditional love and companionship a pet offers significantly reduce the strain of emotional burnout. With help of the experts at Small Pet Select, we found five ways pets help reduce burnout. Pets are valuable additions to any family, no matter what size they may be. These are just five ways that taking care of a pet can help to reduce burnout.
- Unconditional Emotional Support
Even if you can’t have a direct conversation with them, pets provide invaluable emotional support. Animals are deeply empathetic and can provide comfort when feeling distressed or burnt out. Even small animals like rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas are capable of showing a surprising amount of affection. There’s often a lot of love in such a small package. Even if they can’t talk, pets make for amazing listeners.
- The Importance of Little Distractions
One common cause of burnout is fixating on a problem until overwhelms your thought process completely. It’s natural to focus on a problem that needs a solution, however, fixating easily leads to burnout. Having a pet to depend on is the perfect distraction from the stress of everyday life. It’s one way to put other problems to the side, even just for a moment. Taking care of your pet will relax and refresh your mind. This way, you can approach problems with a fresh perspective.
- A Start for Positive Dialogue with Coworkers
It can sometimes be a challenge to find ways to relate with our coworkers. This can lead to feelings of isolation, stress, and burnout. Having a pet is a great conversation starter with coworkers and an easy way to relate with others. This can help lower stress and tension in the workplace, too.
- Physiological Benefits
There are documented physiological reactions in our bodies when we take care of our pets. These include a decrease in blood pressure and a release of the hormone dopamine. These lead to greater feelings of relaxation and reduce the potential stress buildup that leads to burnout.
- More Exercise for Both of You
Pets need exercise and activity. As a consequence, this encourages pet owners to be more active as well. Dogs need regular walks, and cats need regular engagement and exercise, too. Even small pets need frequent time for activities, allowing owners more opportunities to exercise. Exercise is great for both your mental and physical health, and having a pet is a fantastic reason to exercise more.
Beat Burnout with Pets and Thrive
If you’re one of the many Americans struggling with stress at work, you’re not alone. Even the most determined workers struggle with burnout, and none of us should handle it alone. For these reasons and many more, a pet is a great way to mitigate burnout and encourage a quicker recovery. Just one more reason for us to love our furry (or feathered or scaled) family members.
Find the solution to your burnout today. If you’re thinking about adopting a furry friend, Small Pet Select has everything you need. Whether you’re a new pet owner or a seasoned vet, we’ve got you covered! Give your pet everything they need to thrive. You’ll soon be thriving, too.
