Puppy Therapy
A Paws in Work session does more than just allowing your employees to come and socialise with beautiful puppies. While that in itself makes pretty much any day a winner, there is a far more serious impact that the pups can have. It is proven that interacting with animals has a positive effect on mental health in humans. Spending time sharing some fun or just quiet time with a pet - or a group of gorgeous puppy visitors - is known to help in dealing with anxiety and reducing stress levels.
The benefits of puppy therapy
Trusted institutions such as the Mental Health Foundation have stated that caring for an animal can help with depression, stress, loneliness and even ADHD. There are also claims that looking after a pet can help people with Autism or older people with Alzheimer’s in various ways.
When it comes down to it, sitting and playing with puppies just has a wonderful effect on a person. Imagine you’re at work, deadlines are piling up, colleagues are tense, meetings have been challenging. Now comes a reminder in your calendar that it’s time to leave your desk, head to another room and spend half an hour or so having fun with beautiful puppies. You head to the event room, take your place with your colleagues and are suddenly covered in puppies who want to say hello. Chances are you’ll leave in a happier state than when you came in.
The mental health benefits
So why exactly is puppy therapy good for your employees? Because a little time out to do something calming can have very positive mental health benefits. It can encourage employees to take a much-needed break from their desks and deadlines and clear their heads. The Mental Health Foundation states that just by stroking, sitting with or playing with an animal, people are given a chance to relax and calm the mind.
Puppies need their playtime as an essential part of their socialising and development, so joining in with that playtime through puppy therapy is the perfect way to help both the puppies and the people who have come to play. It promotes the release of oxytocin in our bodies, a hormone related to affection, as found in a 2009 study by the peer-reviewed Hormones and Behaviour scientific journal.
Playing with animals can elevate levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax. Basically, playing with our puppies at a Paws in Work event can help to reduce stress in busy workplaces. Plus, thanks to the socialising aspect and being showered with love, it’s also great for the puppies themselves, too.
By spending some time enjoying a bit of puppy therapy you can improve productivity, accuracy and enthusiasm in the workplace. Animals are a great motivator for people, encouraging them to care, to help, to nurture, to allow the tangle of nerves and worries that modern life throws at everyone to be detangled a bit. It’s important for employees to be able to disconnect a little, and that’s why puppy therapy is ideal.