5 Ways Pets Help Mental Health When Working From Home

Posted by Rezaur Rahman Soton on April 2nd, 2021

Your co-worker at home helps you maintain a healthier and happier mind.

Millions of people from all over the world love their pets: they are part of the family. We enjoy their company and walks, games with them and even talking or singing to them.

Evidence suggests that attachment to pets is good for human health and even helps build a better community.

It's no secret that pets can contribute to your happiness. Studies show that dogs reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, relieve loneliness, encourage exercise, and improve overall health. For example, people who own dogs tend to have lower blood pressure and are less likely to develop heart disease. Just playing with a dog has been shown to increase levels of the feel-good brain chemicals oxytocin and dopamine, creating positive, bonding feelings for both you and your pet.

Work colleagues at home

If you currently work from home, like more than 20% of people employed in the U.S., according to a study conducted by Statista® in April 2020, the camaraderie that is generated from meeting co-workers in the office now comes from the online conferencing software. But there are great benefits to working from home. Your non-human co-workers never question your ideas and are always available to you, often by your side.

According to Global Workplace Analytics, it is possible that, by the end of 2021, up to 30% of employed people will work from home several days a week. This could mean healthier and happier workers, especially if there are pets in the home.

People enjoy the flexibility of bringing a pet to work, we found out in our 2019 Healthy Bond for Life Initiative Survey. More than 50% of respondents said they would rather bring their pet to work.

5 Ways Pets Help Mental Health When Working From Home

 1. Pets can reduce work-related stress. Two out of three employees say that work stresses them and 40% say that work affects their health. Studies indicate that pets in the workplace help reduce stress and improve employee satisfaction.

 2. Pets can help increase productivity, wherever you work. When a dog participates in a virtual meeting, group members rate their peers higher in terms of trust, camaraderie, and team unity.

 3. Pets help control anxiety. Now more than ever, many people feel anxious or have difficulty maintaining a good level of mental health. Pets provide companionship and support.

 4. Pets can help you be more active. Although social distance keeps many people at home, pets give us a reason to get outside, get fresh air, and be active.

 5. Pets bring a sense of togetherness. The bond with a pet helps people not to feel alone. When people see, touch, listen to, or talk to, their pets, it brings a feeling of goodwill, joy, caring, and happiness.