Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Pets: How They Enrich Our Lives & Improve Our Health

He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion. ~unknown

Anyone who loves and owns a pet knows the joy of companionship and love they provide. Pets are our devoted friends. Following are just some of the many benefits that having a pet can bring:

Love & Affection

Pets offer humanity one thing that we all need and seek, that is, the miracle-working power of unconditional love. People with pets experience that love because they know they don't have to earn it. Their pets love them just the way they are. When they are irritable or moody, their pet is forgiving and accepting. When they are apart, they know they are missed and will be greeted with excitement and an affectionate welcome. It can make them feel like the most important person in the world, and they actually are to their pet.

Pets express affection to their owners and this loving act reminds them that they are loved. Pet behavior is actually more consistent when compared to human behavior, which can be unstable and unpredictable at times. Therefore, pet owners can be secure in knowing that their pet's love and affection will not be withdrawn unexpectedly. Emotionally, they can experience a love that is accepting and does not have to be earned from their pets. This experience of unconditional love can be very therapeutic as it is a constant reminder that they are valuable, special, and worthy of love and respect.

Companionship

Pets keep us company. They can help ward off feelings of loneliness and isolation. The very presence of a pet reminds us that we are not physically alone. Pets provide a unique bond and companionship that also helps in warding off feelings of disconnection from others. Caring for pets requires verbal and/or nonverbal communication with them. In turn, pets respond and follow. They provide a listening ear to our troubles as well. Talking to them or showing and receiving affection are healthy ways to feel more connected with our loving companions.

Relaxation & Comfort

Research studies consistently show that pets help us relax. Simply stroking a pet lowers blood pressure and calms us. Pets provide comfort and affection that help to reduce stress. They help to divert attention away from problems. Pets also provide enjoyment and make us laugh, releasing the body's natural feel-good chemicals. Pets are good for our emotional as well as physical health.

A Rewarding Relationship

We all need to have a sense of purpose in our lives, something to do and look forward to every day. Aside from our work and other responsibilities, we need meaningful and rewarding ways to give out and enjoy life. Having a pet provides us with an important responsibility and a chance to give our time and attention to a rewarding relationship. Pet owners know that they are counted on every single day to care for their pet's many needs-feeding, bathing, exercise, grooming, and affection. Having a pet to take care of gives us the sense that we are needed and responsible for our companion who counts on us. This can be healthy for our self-esteem as it keeps us actively involved in caring for something other than ourselves. And in that there is great reward and fulfillment.

Copyright 2010 All Rights Reserved. NewDayCounseling.org Written by Krystal Kuehn

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. ~ Josh Billings




Krystal Kuehn, MA, LPC, LLP, NCC is a licensed professional counselor, best-selling author, teacher, and musician. She specializes in helping people live their best life now, reach their full potential, overcome barriers, heal from their past, and develop a lifestyle of health, happiness, and love. Krystal is the cofounder of NewDayCounseling.org, a relationship counseling, family counseling center, specializing in helping individuals, couples and families with professional counseling services for relationship problems, parenting issues, depression, anxiety as well a s substance abuse classes, anger management groups, and more. Krystal is also cofounder of StopSuicideSong.com and BeHappy4Life.com as well as Facebook.com/WordsOfInspiration and several blogs.

365 Motivation Starters for a New Day

We can begin each new day with motivation and anticipation of good things to come. No matter what happened yesterday, today is a new day. And with it, we are given a new opportunity to enjoy life, to love and laugh, to learn and grow, to win and conquer, to prosper and live fully.

Whether or not we realize it, we begin each new day wanting it to be good and purposeful. No one wakes us saying, “I want to be aimless and unmotivated today.” However, we hold a responsibility to encourage and motivate ourselves. And that is the goal of the simple truths in 365 Motivation Starters for a New Day. They are simple every day reminders intended to motivate and help you to:

· Think about your endless opportunities to live a fulfilling life
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· Improve your relationships
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· Fill your mind with positive, empowering thoughts

You can live with motivation, purpose and joy each new day of the year. May the following pages remind you that you have the power within you to choose your attitude every day, to motivate and encourage yourself, and to live a truly fulfilling and successful life!


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New Day Counseling is a family couples counseling center that provides professional counseling services for the entire family. We help parents, children, teens, families, individuals and couples. We offer couples therapy / marriage counseling, child therapy, adolescent counseling, anxiety counseling, depression counseling, divorce counseling, grief counseling, porn addiction counseling, substance abuse counseling. We also offer groups for anger counseling. Go to NewDayCounseling.org today for more information or call us at 248-649-8050. We are here to help, and we look forward to hearing from you.


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