And provided you haven’t mistreated them, they are always happy to see you. Think about that. There is NO human being in your life that you can say that about with the exception of a baby. 

I truly believe that one of the best daily “therapies” is time spent with your animal(s).  It has scientifically been proven over and over to lower your blood pressure, for starters.  Let’s take a look at that simple, amazing fact.  In order for your blood pressure to lower, it requires that physiologically, you relax and feel a sense of calm.  You can’t have that happen if the stress hormone cortisol is running rampant through your body. Time spent with our (or any) animal can give you a hit of the feel-good chemical dopamine, which lifts your mood. 

Who doesn’t want a feeling of calm and contentment? And feeling seen, heard, loved, no matter what? Animals have the ability to make you feel that way if you take the time to connect with them. Yes, even cats!

Take a look at this cartoon, and we’ll play out what happened.  The guy is on a psychiatrist's couch and no doubt has been there before, talking, talking, and talking, as well as listening to a doctor’s questions or feedback.  He keeps going back to these sessions because something in this process makes him feel heard and seen which most other times he does not. Now, think of all the time and energy spent to create this experience.

Then all of a sudden one day when he’s on that coach a dog jumps up, lies next to him and starts licking his face. 

Even if the man is not particularly a “dog person” and he immediately sits up to wipe off his face in a brief instance of annoyance, he will, a few seconds later, experience an elevation in mood. Having the dog close,  waging his tail and so happy to see this man, that is enough to be a trigger of feel-good feelings. 

And I’ll go one further; even when the man has left the session, every time he thinks back on this experience, he is likely to smile and feel a boost in mood. When he tells his friends about the dog, he’ll be smiling and excited to share this novel experience. 

ALL by feeling unconditionally accepted and loved.  All cause by no more than a 15-second experience with a dog. Pretty amazing, right?

It’s, quite simply, a lovely thing to ponder. 

By Doing effective work with a therapist, you can create this true feeling of self-acceptance and recognition inside you so you are not dependent on finding it externally in order to have a joy-filled life. 

In the meantime, I encourage you to look at the ways you have (or don’t have joy and recognition in your life every day. 

 And keep in mind there are infinite numbers of wonderful animals in shelters across the country just waiting to be adopted…in case you are not already connected with one.