Self-Care and the Mental Health Benefits of Pet Ownership
If you enjoy the benefits of pet ownership, you’ll know that your pets help promote your
ongoing mental health. It pays to keep your companion animals healthy, safe, and happy, as
they can be therapeutic forms of self-care. 

Happy pets and healthy animals help with your mental health and self-care efforts.
Sometimes, as mentioned in this study, petting and talking to your cat helps improve
general psychological health. Your pets help you enjoy overlooked self-care practices such
as relaxation time, stress reduction, getting adequate sleep, and taking natural remedies.

Overlooked Self-Care Practices for Pet Owners
Pets are perhaps an underutilized tool for mental health self-care. Whereas the blind, deaf,
and disabled communities rely on service animals, regular citizens like you may not realize
their pets can help them enjoy many of the benefits service animals offer. You may even be
able to register a dog as a service animal focused on emotional support in Brisbane.

Relaxation time
Scheduling enough relaxation time into your hectic life can be challenging, particularly if
you’re a multiple pet owner in urban settings such as Brisbane. Of course, a small dog
and/or a cat locked in an apartment all day while you’re at work means getting home might
not be very relaxing. Animals like dogs need training, so they are not disruptive. One thing
you can do is play music or other sounds that help you relax. Dogs benefit from music that
soothes you because dogs watch you calm down as you listen, and in turn, they become
peaceful.

Stress reduction
Stress, especially that caused by financial worries, is a top concern for Australians. To this
end, caring for your wallet is a significant form of mental health self-care. Financial stress
reduction should include ways to save money. If you own your own home, consider
refinancing, which frees up some monthly cash. Make sure your living space is clean,
organized, and free of clutter, as a messy home will contribute to your stress levels and
reduce your overall quality of life.

Taking natural remedies
You may exacerbate your hectic life with poor nutrition. This issue already affects
Australians, as poor nutrition is linked to 7% of the country’s disease burden. Eating food
like fruits and nuts and drinking healthy smoothies are ideal for an on-the-go lifestyle.
Consuming natural foods decrease your sugar intake, but only if you reduce energy drink
consumption. You can also take natural remedies to reduce bio toxicity. 

Getting adequate sleep

According to research, there is a link between adequate sleep and mental health. There are
many things you can do to improve your sleep quality. For example, you can remove your
pets from your bed to have more room at night. Good nutrition and having enough
relaxation time help you get a good night’s sleep. 

Self-care for mental health doesn’t happen unless you practice being in control of your
well-being. Your pets are in tune with your emotions, and they are good mirrors for
showing you what helps you feel better.

Happy Owner Equals Happy Pet
Many people own pets, making them an underutilized resource for self-care and mental
health care. Using your pets as therapeutic guidance, these four self-care activities can help
you feel better and increase your well-being. For more, visit Naturopathvet to see how you
can reduce your pet’s stress levels.