For millions of Americans, long hours, too much coffee and a frenetic work pace
are the norm. After battling traffic to get through your door, what’s a good
way to soothe your jangled nerves?
Studies show that fish calmed children diagnosed with attention deficit
disorder.
One proven way is to prop your feet up and watch your fish swim serenely
through your aquarium. Research has found that pets calm nerves and lower blood
pressure. And aquariums particularly seem to have a soothing effect. In fact,
many doctor offices keep aquariums in the waiting room. Watching fish swim to
and fro lowers the stress of waiting to be examined.
Research buttressed what many fish enthusiasts already know: the therapeutic
benefits of aquariums. In 1999, a study showed that displaying tanks of
brightly colored fish curtailed disruptive behaviors of Alzheimer patients. The
fish were also credited with improving eating habits. Other studies also showed
that fish calmed children diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity
disorder.
In general, pets have been shown to reduce stress and boost emotional
well-being, even during tough times. When Jerry Greider lost his job and spent
three months looking for work, it was a rough period in his life. “I spent a
lot of time going on job interviews and sending out resumes, with nothing
panning out,” the Seattle resident recalls. “Some days, the only thing that
kept me smiling was my dog licking my face and wagging his tail. And often that
was just what it took to put me in a positive frame-of-mind before an
interview.”
Rachel Rushing, of Indianapolis, Ind., says when she’s fighting the blahs, all
she has to do is watch her three kittens playing together. “They like to jump
in and out of paper bags and hide behind furniture, as if they’re playing a
game of hide-and-seek with each other,” she says. “It’s really entertaining. If
I’m having a bad day, I can’t help but feel cheered up watching them play.”
Then there are the documented health benefits of pet ownership. Many studies
have proven the link between a healthier, longer life and pet ownership .
Though the studies have largely focused on the effects of dogs and cats, other
species provide benefits as well. Keeping a pet can give you a sense of purpose
and the feeling of being needed, a feeling that is especially important for
people who live alone.
And coming home to your family, whether you have one pet or many, gives you
something to look forward to.
“Watching your pet’s silly antics can make you laugh and help relieve
stress,” says David Frei, spokesperson for the Delta Society, a nonprofit
organization interested in relationships between people and animals. “Pets take
away the tension that’s in your daily life, whether it’s for work or
family-related problems. When you see a dog looking at you with his big, brown
adoring eyes, that brings a certain relaxation to people.”
Decreased Feeling of Loneliness
Pets decrease feelings of loneliness and isolation, explains Alan Beck,
Ph.D., director of the Center for Human-Animal Bond at the School of Veterinary
Medicine at Purdue University. “A pet is someone to share your life with,” he
says. “There’s a lot of people in this world who live alone. As a society, many
of us live in apartments in big cities. We may not know our neighbors. We may
be separated geographically from our extended families. Maybe we’re divorced or
widowed and live alone. And so for people in these circumstance, pets can help
fill the ‘people void’ in their lives.”
