POLOKWANE – Van den Berg has years of experience working with people with stress related issues in their personal and professional lives and is a firm believer that pets are a strong stress reliever.
“When thinking of ways to reduce stress in life, usually techniques like meditation, yoga and keeping a journal come to mind. But I have found that animals work wonders for people dealing with stress situations in their homes or at work,” she told Review.
She said that while human friends provide great social support, having cats and dogs in your home can be just as beneficial.
Check out this video to see just how effective pets are at relieving stress:
According to Van den Berg, pets encourage their owners to exercise because they need to be taken for regular walks. Anyone who is stressed will benefit from the fresh air and the exercise. It is also a great way to meet other people.
“They provide unconditional love,” she continued. She said pets can provide support that other people cannot and can improve a person’s mood just by the look they give that person.
Van den Berg said studies show pets have been proven to lower blood pressure better than certain medication, as owning a pet improves a person’s overall quality of life.
She said she only suggests people try other methods to relieve their stress if they are completely opposed to keeping a pet.
The only down side to getting a pet to relieve stress is that in some cases, people become violent when they are stressed and often demonstrate cruel behaviour toward their pets.
