Hi, I’m Savanna! Read my introduction to be taught extra about me and my spunky Chihuahua combine, Penny.
Mental well being is one thing that is essential to me, and I’m glad that it’s turning into extra acceptable to speak about it brazenly. Along with there being much less of a stigma surrounding psychological well being, emotional assist animals (ESAs) have gotten extra widespread as nicely.
Studies have proven the advantages and ways in which canines and different animals assist with human psychological well being.1 While emotional assist canines don’t have all of the rights that service canines have, canines are nonetheless being allowed in additional locations than they’ve been earlier than.
That being stated, Penny isn’t my official emotional assist canine. However, she does assist with my psychological well being in some ways, which I’ll focus on on this article.
The 5 Ways Penny Helps With My Mental Health
I endure from anxiousness and seasonal affective dysfunction, and whereas I’ve at all times been in a position to handle it fairly nicely alone, I’d be mendacity if I stated I hadn’t seen an enchancment in my psychological well being since getting Penny. Here are all of the methods she helps me each day.
1. She Prevents Loneliness
During the COVID pandemic, I and lots of others made the transition to working from dwelling. I nonetheless work at home, and whereas the professionals of working from dwelling outweigh the cons by a longshot, there is a component of loneliness that may come together with it.
I’m an introvert so I’ve by no means been essentially the most social individual, however I do discover myself getting lonely generally. My husband and daughter are each gone all day to work and college. It’s good having Penny there to speak to and work together with. Even if she will be able to’t stick with it a dialog with me, it’s good simply to have listening ears. And canines don’t choose us both, so let’s simply say she wins the award of worker of the month each month.
2. She Gets Me Outside
Don’t get me unsuitable, I really like being outdoors as a lot as attainable when it’s heat. But when it’s chilly within the winter, particularly when my seasonal affective dysfunction kicks in, I don’t wish to go outdoors very a lot.
Having Penny is useful as a result of she loves going outdoors (except when it’s cold and rainy). Plus, she has to go outdoors to go potty. So even once I don’t wish to, Penny will get me outdoors for some recent air and sunshine, at the very least for a short time.
3. She’s My Own Personal Weighted Blanket
Weighted blankets have been proven to assist cut back stress and anxiousness and enhance sleep, however man, a few of them are costly. Luckily, I’ve my very own weighted blanket within the type of a 12-pound Chihuahua combine.
Whenever I’m sitting on the sofa, napping, or sleeping at night time beneath a blanket, Penny is at all times proper there on prime of the blanket, weighing it down. I don’t know if it has fairly the identical impact as an precise weighted blanket, however I do know that I sleep higher when Penny is laying on prime of me than I do when she isn’t.
4. She Always Makes Me Smile
They say that canines are very in tune with their homeowners’ moods, and I imagine that wholeheartedly. Every time I’m feeling unhappy, harassed, or simply down, right here comes Penny doing one thing foolish.
Whether it’s a sudden bout of the zoomies, bringing her toy for me to throw, or simply giving me kisses, she at all times is aware of simply what I must really feel higher.
5. I Know She Needs Me, Too
Perhaps crucial method that Penny helps with my psychological well being is that I do know that she wants me too. Taking care of her provides me one thing to do to assist preserve my thoughts off of no matter is making me anxious.
She’s not a particularly anxious dog, however she is a bit of needy at instances. My husband stated one time that he didn’t know if Penny was my emotional assist canine, or if I used to be her emotional assist human. I laughed about it, however it’s true. She wants me simply as a lot as I want her.
ESA or Not, Dogs Help Us Mentally
So to sum up, Penny will not be an official emotional support dog, however there’s no denying that she affords me emotional assist each day. From offering companionship and a non-judgmental, listening ear, to understanding simply once I want cheering up, she positively helps with my psychological well being. Whether she’s my emotional assist canine, or I’m her emotional assist human, we every make the opposite one’s life higher. I’ve little doubt that your canines assist along with your psychological well being too, even when they aren’t official ESAs.