WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER: Pet a Dog Often. You’ll Reduce Anxiety & Enhance Thinking When Stressed.
May 13, 2021 9:37AM CDT
Little girl with her samoyed dog outdoors
Study: Petting a Dog On A Regular Basis Can ‘Significantly’ Reduce Anxiety and Enhance Thinking Skills for Stressed Students
Regularly petting dogs can really help lower stress levels.
Researchers at Washington State University have found that stress management programs, which utilize therapy dogs, are most effective for struggling students.
Specifically, students who completed a four-week-long program, with animal therapy, were found to have improved cognitive skills. And that persisted, for at least four weeks.
Human-animal interaction expert and study leader, Patricia Pendry, says, “This study shows that traditional stress management approaches aren’t as effective for this population as programs that focus on providing opportunities to interact with therapy dogs. […] The results were very strong. […] when you’re looking at the ability to study, engage, concentrate and take a test, then having the animal aspect is very powerful. Being calm is helpful for learning especially for those who struggle with stress and learning.”
Learn more, here: (Daily Mail)
- A study found that for stressed out college students, interacting with therapy dogs was a very effective way to help students improve their cognitive skills, including their abilities to be calm and concentrate
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