Pets improve your health and your mood.

A pet's inherent ability to put a smile on our faces can be very helpful in combating stress or depression. I have learned from experience that things tend to go poorly when I'm having a tough time with my mood. If I'm stressed, I tend to get irritated and frustrated easily. This, of course, is not conducive to getting anything done or spending time with others. Who wants to hang out with a sourpuss?

When I'm feeling low because I've let a situation or some words get to me, I make a bee line for the closest pet. I have several pets to choose from, which is great because each different species seems to work on different stresses for me.

If I'm feeling like I'm less then I could be, inadequate, I go to see my horses. There's nothing like recognizing that I can safely and lovingly have a great time with my 1,000lb Della or even bigger Willie. That puts things into perspective, a lot. If I can handle and communicate and not get run over by a horse, no puny (in relative terms of size here) human can use their judgements against me.
These judgements may be real or perceived.

My dogs come to me for many things like food when they think it is dinner time or fresh water when the bucket needs to be refilled. They are gluttons for attention too but that is part of their charm. They also seem to have an uncanny knack at knowing when I am down emotionally. One of them usually finds her way into my space and, either by presenting me with a toy to play or darn near flopping on me to cuddle, lets me know that she thinks it's time to lift the mood.

With an improved mood whatever situation is nagging you can be approached from a different angle. Maybe you'll find a solution that was there all along but was hidden from you while you were down. When we are happy we tend to look at situations from a positive outlook and more readily find solutions. When we are unhappy we tend to look at situations as a lost cause and spend more time devaluing solutions by looking at all the reaons it won't work instead of why it will.

Perspective has a lot to do with how you shape your days and our pets can help us create and maintain a positive outlook for better stress management and problem-solving, Or in my case solution finding.

For a great book on perspective and how it affects your days:
Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires

Till next time, Heidi