When you are in depression, the presence of a playful dog can help in many ways. Dogs are not only playful, they can also understand your feelings. These adorable creatures can lighten up your mood, even if you are not a dog person.
How can dogs help with depression? They can help you in different ways, such
as:
● Giving emotional
support
● Getting you into
exercise and movement
● Helping you maintain a
routine
● Reducing loneliness
● Growing your social
life and
● Adding a purpose to
your life
Let’s explore how these canines can assist you
in depression so that you can understand their value in your life. Let’s hop
on.
6 Ways
Dogs Can Reduce Your Anxiety and Depression
Petting a dog is a wonderful experience. It
makes you feel happy and can reduce your anxiety. Here are six proven ways they
alleviate your depression:
1. Giving Emotional Support
Everyone knows how loyal and clingy dogs are
to their owners. They can understand you better than most of your friends. They
can sense it when you are sad. They will sit by you and try to cheer you up
when you are depressed.
Besides, when you play with dogs, it increases
the secretion of oxytocin and serotonin. These are some of the natural hormones
that make you happy. Even if you are not in a playing mood, just sitting by
your dog can help. Patting their soft body can make you feel better.
Most dog owners share a deep bond with their
dogs. Their presence, therefore, is always helpful when you are in depression.
2. Getting You Into Exercise And Movement
Depression sometimes makes people immobile.
You do not want to go out. Sitting or lying down feels more important than
anything else. These do not help. Doing nothing makes your condition worse.
Having a dog can help you with this. They will
ask you to take them on a walk. You may refuse to take them once or twice, but
how long? It is impossible to say no to these beautiful, cute, and innocent
little babies. You have to give in and take them out. This will make you move
and feel slightly better eventually.
3. Helping You Maintain A Routine
Depression hampers your routined life. You do
not like to do the regular things you used to do. This lack of a structured day
and routine increases mental issues. Your furry friend will at least make you
do something in a routine way.
You will have to take them out for a walk. Or,
you will have to play and cook for them. Doing these regular activities may not
seem of much importance, but they are crucial when you are in an adverse mental
state. These regular activities will take your mind off the reason that has
caused the depression in the first place.
Sometimes, you feel depressed because of the
demise of someone important to you. Or, it can be losing a relationship. The
less you think about them, the better it is for your mental condition. Paying
attention to your dogs helps with this purpose.
4. Reducing Loneliness
One of the major reasons for depression is
loneliness. Even if your depression is caused by some other reason, it gets
worse when you live alone. There is no one to share your emotions and thoughts.
No one to look after you either. The scenario is different when you have dogs.
These furry friends can be great companions.
They will sit next to you and reassure you that there is someone you can talk
to. Actually, talking to dogs can significantly improve your condition. You can
trust them. You know they are never going to turn on you. This lets you share
all the things you cannot share with others. And it eventually makes you feel
better and relieved.
5. Growing Your Social
Life
Interacting with people becomes difficult when
you are not in a joyous mood. You do not like to make friends with others. You
maintain an awkward silence that builds a barrier between you and other people.
Having a dog can help.
Dogs are friendly animals and often get funny
with your neighbors and strangers. Dogs can play the icebreaker role for you.
This is especially helpful for people with mental disorders. New social
interactions reduce your tension and give you new hope in life.
This can happen when you take your dog out for
a walk. People get attracted to cute dogs and puppies. They get engaged in a
conversation. Since it starts with the subject of your dogs, you do not feel
uncomfortable exchanging some thoughts. After all, you have more understanding
and knowledge of your dog than others.
6. Adding A Purpose To
Your Life
One of the major reasons for depression is
finding no purpose in life. Sometimes, you may feel like there is no real
purpose for your existence. You are just living a life that is boring and
mundane, and it has no quirk or excitement. This can lead to depression.
Dogs add a purpose to your life. You know that
someone or something loves you. Someone is looking forward to your return home.
Their jumping on you upon returning makes you feel much better and more
important.
Many people have expressed how having a dog
added a purpose to their lives. You will have the same. A dog will give you a
purpose to get up from your bed and cook. It will give you a purpose to go
outdoors and play with it.
You will not like doing these things for
yourself during depression. These activities will seem meaningless. But when
you are doing things for someone else, it feels important.