Different ways a pet can help

If you have a pet at home, they can be a great way to help you! Having or using pets at home has become a great way to help adults and children! Oftentimes our animals have a way of knowing when we need them, take advantage of being able to use them, especially dogs or cats! Dogs specifically are able to understand and pick up on tone of voice, body language and gestures and will want to help if they can. Playing with, petting, hugging or even just laying with a pet can rapidly calm and soothe you while stressed or anxious and increase levels of serotonin and dopamine.

Different ways a pet can help;

• Increase exercise and play
• Reduce anxiety and sensory overload
• Decrease stress
• Release emotions
• Provide companionship, decrease loneliness
• Add structure and routine
• Help meet new people and build relationships
• Build confidence and independence
• Boost mood, decrease depression
• Help build positive self esteem
• Teach responsibility

Each pet is different and requires a different level of care, making sure you have the right amount of time and space to take on a responsibility! It can be a very rewarding but also long process. It’s also a great way to help build bonds and relationships with your animal. Some animals can be trained to be assistance to certain medical or mental diagnosis.

Benefits of Using Fidgets

Do you ever find yourself tapping your hands or feet? Twirling your hair, biting your nails or playing with things around you? Oftentimes you may not even be aware you are engaging in these activities or how they are helping you. That is your body’s way of releasing restless energy and it can also help reduce anxiety symptoms. Fidget toys can increase concentration and attention, and help keep you calm. Since most fidget toys are things we hold or do with our hands, they can help ground us by bringing us into our senses, specifically the sense of touch. Focusing on our senses, brings us out of our heads and into our bodies. This helps our emotional brain calm down.

We’ve written about how grounding techniques can help do this and so can fidgets.   I am also here to tell you, fidget toys are not only for children. Anyone can use them including adults! My fidget toys come in handy when I am in a long meeting, doing a long task and having to sit still for long periods. Different types of toys:

• Fidget Spinner/Cube/Pad
• Tangle Toys
• Hoberman Mini Spheres
• Stress Balls
• Fidget Chains
• Thinking Putty
• Monkey Noodles
• Squishy
• Liquid Motion Bubbler
• Pencil Set with Fidgets
• Hair tyes
• Plush Keychains
• Kinetic Sand
• Playdough