Time to read: 3 minutes
Benefits of Pets While Working from Home Summary:
- Pets have made themselves known as the newest mascots of the workforce.
- Having a pet, in general, has its benefits, but having pets around while working from home proves to be a positive adjustment.
The workforce has made many adjustments since going fully remote in March. From setting up a new workspace to acclimating to online meetings and calls, by far one of the biggest adjustments for many was getting used to their new co-workers: their pets.
If you have pets, you know what we are talking about. Between cats climbing all over your keyboard and dogs barking while you are on Teams and Zoom meetings, these fluffy friends, although cute, can be quite the distraction. Despite their annoyances, working from home with your pets comes with quite a few benefits.
1. Improves Mental Health
This year has been full of stress and anxiety for many. For those who live alone, having a pet provides you with a loving companion and can help prevent loneliness. There are also studies that show petting and playing with your animals actually reduces stress-related hormones in the body. It can also raise the levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. Animals never fail to put a smile on our faces. Their goofy antics are a perfect, light-hearted break from the stress of the workday.
2. Cost Savings
During a typical workweek, you are gone for eight hours a day or more. Many people resort to paying a dog walker to give their dog enough exercise during the day. On top of that, many people travel for work and spend money hiring pet sitters. It can also be hard to keep up with the proper grooming of your pet while you are busy away from home. Being homebound alleviates those costs, allowing you to set that extra money aside.
3. More Exercise
For most people, a workday requires a lot of sitting. If you ride a bike or walk to work, you may get a little exercise during the day, but even then most of the day is spent sitting down. Working from home with your pets gives you a good reason to get up and move around. Taking a break from your work to go on a nice long walk with your dog can actually help you to be more productive for the rest of the day and improve your overall health. Studies show that dog owners actually have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels than non-dog owners. Taking these short breaks for movement is more important than ever as the workforce still works remotely.
4. Better Focus
Trying to maintain focus all day can be hard in an office. However, at home, you are isolated from your coworkers, which can make focusing on your work even harder. Although your dog or cat may distract you sometimes, their frequent visits during the day are great reminders to get up and take a break. As mentioned previously, taking a break to walk your dog can help you to be more productive as well as playing, brushing, petting, etc. Taking frequent short breaks can help boost your energy and make it easier to focus on your tasks when you return to them.
5. Stronger Bond
There is no denying your pets miss you just as much as you miss them during the workday. Constantly being home allows you to spend more quality time with your pet which can only improve your relationship. Giving your pet the attention they love and deserve will increase their brain stimulation, their trust in you, and their overall mood and temperament.
In Conclusion
Being a pet owner has always had its perks, but now that people are working from home, their presence is even more beneficial. From boosting your mood and improving your activity level, to helping you focus or save money, working at home alongside your pets can make your days brighter.
COVID-19 has been hard on many of us, but being able to spend copious amounts of time with our pets has offered so many benefits to both the quality of their lives and our well-being. Whether you have a cat, dog, bunny, frog, hamster, lizard, or parrot, make sure you spoil your pets because they really do so much for us.
