Showing love and affection towards a pet was one of the most frequently mentioned stress busters. Most respondents told me about their interactions with their dogs, but there were other pet favourites as well. Jess, a receptionist at a busy medical centre, told me that when she comes home after work the first thing she does is to check on her two house rabbits. She feeds and strokes them, and said she feels a sense of calm and serenity within a matter of minutes.
This isn’t surprising. Research shows that when we making loving contact with another mammal, both participants release a brain chemical called oxytocin. This chemical is often referred to as the ‘love hormone’ because it’s released during sex and also during childbirth. The effect is to make both giver and receiver feel safe, secure, calmer, and more attached to one another. The release of oxytocin is also associated with a reduction in the stress hormone cortisol, further reducing feelings of stress and anxiety.
Another reason pets are such wonderful antidotes for stress is that they help us feel more purposeful and in control. Things may seem overwhelming out in the larger world, but at home we can comfort someone we love and help them thrive. For this benefit, pets are great–but even caring for something as simple as a houseplant can make a positive difference to wellbeing, as Ellen Langer showed in a paper published in 1976. Langer, then at Yale University in America, visited a care home for the elderly. She provided enough houseplants for the carers to give one to each resident. Half of the residents were told that the plant was a gift, and that the staff would look after it for them. The others were also told that the plant was a gift, but they were told that it was their responsibility to look after the plant and encourage it to thrive. Langer found that those who were given the responsibility of caring for their plant later showed increased alertness, greater participation in care home activities, and an enhanced sense of wellbeing.
Now some of you may be thinking that this tip can’t work for you because you don’t have any pets. Please think again! You are in a position to reap double benefits. You could, for example, volunteer to walk a dog or cuddle a cat in a rescue centre for pets, or you might decide to sign up with any of a number of charities who recruit people to walk a dog for someone who can’t get out and about. These acts have the benefit of releasing oxytocin as I’ve already described. But in addition, this altruistic behaviour–altruism is doing something for the benefit of others without seeking a personal benefit in return–will increase general wellbeing still further, as the psychologist Martin Seligman has shown in his research.
Finally, a number of respondents told me that their mood lifts when they take a dog for a walk because they feel great exercising outdoors. Some–especially respondents who live on their own–added that meeting up with other dog walkers gave them a sense of belonging.
Taking care of a pet, whether your own that someone else’s, might at first glance look stressful because of the work and responsibility involved. But according to the people I interviewed, this was far outweighed by the benefits in wellbeing, joy and sense of purpose.
This month’s takeaway
Think about how you could incorporate the care of a loving creature into your life.