Is 2020 the Year Everyone Goes Mad?

Major Pandemic + Political Nightmare + Isolation = Anxiety Overload

The worldwide pandemic is overwhelming

and everyone is talking about it

All this uncertainty triggers a feedback loop from hell.

How am I going to pay rent? When do I go to the grocery store? Am I going to die? How many times should I wash my hands? Did people actually not know how to wash their hands before this?

I’m stuck at home, scrolling Twitter and Instagram… reading the latest story- How can I not be stressed? Everything online is about how many people are dying and no one can agree on anything anymore- it’s horrible. Are we just spiraling off into the abyss with no hope..? or well, it feels that way. What do we do? How do we get through it? People are going nuts, getting political, lashing out. How do I cope with the anxiety?

“The stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic can and is having an effect on people’s physical and mental health. During this time, it is important to do what we can to maintain self-care and manage the stress”

The American Psychiatric Association Confirms that People Are Scared

  • More Than 1/3 of Americans Say the Coronavirus is Having A Serious Impact on Their Mental Health
  • 59% Feel the Coronavirus is Affecting Their Day-To-Day Lives
  • 57 % Are Concerned the Coronavirus Will Have a Serious Negative Impact On Their Finances  

  • 68% Fear That The Coronavirus Will Have A Long-Lasting Impact On The Economy.

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The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) is a non-profit education organization. They gather, fund, and distribute scientific research concerning the positive health benefits of companion animals.  Before coronavirus hit, HABRI teamed up with Mars Petcare to explore how animals provide relief and treatment to social isolation, loneliness, and related health conditions.

The study HABRI and Mars Petcare conducted found:

85 % of Respondents Believe Pets Help Reduce Loneliness

76% Agree Human-Pet Interactions Can Help Address Social Isolation

72% Believe Human-Animal Interaction Is Good For Their Community

80% of Pet Owners Say Their Pet Makes Them Feel Less Lonely

54% of Pet Owners Say Their Pet Helps Them Connect With Other People

The Pet Effect Campaign

HABRI lead another study called the Pet Effect campaign.  They researched how pets have an effect on their owners mental health.

They found that pet ownership is associated with improved quality of life through: social support, reduced depression, and other psychosocial predictors of health.

According to the study:

Pets provide the ability to gain a sense of control inherent to caring for the pet.

Pets provide security through generating a sense of order and continuity to individual experiences and through providing a sense of meaning in an individual’s life.

Pets provide a distraction and disruption from distressing symptoms, such as hearing voices, suicidal thoughts, rumination and facilitating routine and exercise for those who cared for them.

According to the CDC

Pets Offer a variety of health benefits

including:

  • Decreased blood pressure
  • Lowered cholesterol levels
  • Decreased levels of triglycerides, a type of fat in your body
  • Reduced feelings of loneliness
  • Increased opportunities for exercise and outdoor activities
  • Improved opportunities for social connection

Conclusion: having a pet can help you feel better during the pandemic.

Here's how:

Easing loneliness. Pets are perfect companions. Many of us are cut off from family and friends, having an animal who gives you unconditional love helps alleviate the struggle of social isolation.

Reducing stress. Having the opportunity to care for something outside of yourself helps you focus on the present moment and get out of the spiraling loop of anxiety.

Providing emotional support. Pets understand when we’re stressed out and they do what they can to support us. They want to cuddle, or lay against us to give us the support we need.

Giving purpose. If you’re low on motivation and feel depressed and stuck inside your home, taking your dog on a walk helps get your blood flowing and gets you out of that space. Also having something to care for gives us more of a purpose.