Let your pet reduce workplace stress
Even if you are working and your pet is at home, they can reduce your stress. Tap into the unconditional love from your pet with these six quick stress breaks. Don’t miss the free download!
Share this post
My Ruby makes me smile. She is loving, playful, and very smart – all qualities that I would like to emulate especially when I am stressed. Even if I’m away at work, I can still draw upon the loving kindness between us. Do you have a pet you love? Perhaps a cat, a dog, a horse, a bird, a hamster, or more? If so, read on to learn how you, too, can tap into the love you share with your pet, especially when you are stressed at work.
Quick Stress breaks
The problem with stress is that it can reduce our focus, decrease our problem-solving skills, and make us appear angry, abrupt, or rude. A quick stress break can help you feel centered. You don’t need a lot of time. In as little as 30 seconds you can clear your mind of stress, then return to the problem at hand with more focus, better problem-solving, and be more gracious, too.
Another problem with stress is that for many of us, work stress is relentless. By the close of the day, you can feel overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted. Frequently pausing to reduce your stress by getting centered can prevent pressure from building throughout your work day.
Your pet can help you destress
Tap into the unconditional love from your pet with these six quick stress breaks.
- Think of a favorite memory or image of your pet. Take a breath. Enjoy a moment of reminiscing. Try to picture your pet and remember how you felt during a favorite moment.
- Inspire some self-compassion by remembering your pet loves you. Pets offer us unconditional love. Remember that you are loved by thinking of your pet.
- Ask if you can share a pet story with patient or colleague. Not everyone loves animals (gasp!) so it’s respectful to ask, “Would you like to hear about my cat?” You might also ask, as a way to distract a stressed patient or colleague, “Do you know what my dog did today?”
- Glace at jewelry or a tattoo that reminds you of pet. Half of you know immediately what I mean, having a drawer full of pins, rings, earrings, cufflinks, belts, purses, and more with images of your pet. For the rest of you, here are some ideas from my collection. My dog’s name is Ruby, so any jewelry with red stones reminds me of her. More specifically, I have a white beaded bracelet with a pawprint charm. And then there is my collection of mugs with various dog photos. There’s more, but the final one I’ll mention is my collection of lapel pins, which I use on nametags, purse straps, jackets, and more.
- Smile at a photo of your pet that you keep on your workstation or your phone. Who doesn’t have a picture of their beloved pet on their phone? You probably have a hundred photos!
- Offer a prayer or gratitude for your pet. When the going gets stressed, pausing to remember and be grateful for what’s good in your life can be very centering.
Let your pet reduce workplace stress
The stress management concept behind all of these ideas is to take a moment of respite from the stress around you, and return to the situation with a clearer mind. A quick stress break can help you feel centered. Try these six ways your pet can help you destress and prevent stress from building throughout your work day.
In peace, Gale
Download your copy of Pet-inspired Stress Breaks by clicking here:
Photos are by The Lymans or are stock Microsoft photos
Quote from: Vaidya, Anuja. 2020, May 14. Twenty seven nurses share their best tips for self-care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Becker’s Hospital Review. Retrieved from 27 nurses share their best tips for self-care during the COVID-19 pandemic (beckershospitalreview.com).