How Dogs Help With Mental Health

Even though millions and millions face the reality of living with a mental condition, mental health isn’t just about being diagnosed (or not) with an illness. Our general well-being is affected by how we live and perceive our everyday lives. In our opinion, nothing is more important than being healthy both physically and mentally, and since May is Mental Health Awareness month, we decided to start our Rufus and You blog with talking about the mental health benefits of owning a dog.

Unconditional Love

Let’s start with the simple fact that dogs love us unconditionally. We are their WHOLE WORLD. Personally, this itself can give so much motivation. Doggies are of course also great listeners and won’t criticize you for anything. You can really be fully yourself around them, and they will love you for it.

Increased Physical Activity

Small dog or big dog, they all need exercise. There are many fun ways to build walks or runs with your dog in to your daily exercise routine, and it is well known that physical activity releases your body’s natural drugs: endorphins. It increases your mental health, and decreases your negative thoughts. Even a 15 minute walk with your pup can make you feel like a new person after a stressful day.

Routine

We all know that dogs love routine. Ideally they would do everything at the exact same time every day. Which can be a bit annoying, when it’s 7:03pm and they start to whine as dinner should have been served 3 minutes ago… But did you know that just like them, humans do very well with it? Having structure in your life improves productivity, makes you feel more accomplished and reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. Feeding, bathing, taking care of your pets can give your everyday life a routine, which creates purpose and a sense of achievement.

Meeting new people

Dogs love to greet one another. That 5-10 seconds while they sniff and gather information about each other can be a bit awkward in silence. It kind of forces owners to have a quick chat about their pups. And I think this is amazing! My advice is to do exactly what your mom told you no to: talk to strangers! You never know, a casual chat about your dogs can lead to business connections, friends, or even romantic relationships. And if not, you still socialized. And socializing decreases your feeling of loneliness and increases your sense of happiness and well-being.

As many other people, sometimes I also struggle with keeping my motivation. I’m so grateful that my little man, Rufus has given purpose on my stressful days, even if it’s just a simple push to get me out of bed in time (because of course he just has to have his breakfast at 6:30am sharp…), or to achieve my minimum goal of exercise for the day (even if its just a 30 minute walk in the park). I’m also very lucky to say that I met amazing people through him, including some of my closest friends.

Depression and anxiety are very common, and fortunately there are many ways to feel better other than owning a dog. But I do hope this short article reminds you how lucky we are to have our furry friends in our lives. And as they say, don't forget to love yourself as much as your dog loves you!

Shoutout

We love supporting other small businesses, and this month we are giving a shoutout to Cloud Doodles! They are a pet apparel brand selling chic walking kits that includes a harness, collar, leash, bowtie, bandana, and waste bag holder. They are committed to raise awareness about the benefits dogs have on human mental health, as well as support organizations that foster human-canine connection. If you adore their mission as much as we do, check out their website where you can learn more about them.

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