Owning A Dog Can Improve Your Health

Having a dog as a pet can seriously help a person to reduce the amount that they stress. Going out in the garden or in the local park and throwing a ball to my dog to fetch, often brings a smile to my face. I can see my dog wagging her tail in enjoyment as she retrieves the ball, she then drops the ball at my feet in the hope that I will throw it again. As she runs full speed after the ball again, I just stand their in amazement at the sheer power of her. There are numerous ways in which this whole experience has enabled me to reduce my own levels of stress and anxiety. As well as bringing the smile to my face as previously mentioned, which of course is showing that I am happy, this game is helping me to take my mind off all of the things that I was worrying about.

The dog returns home in a very contented manner and then likes to cuddle up to me on our comfy sofa. This makes our home so much cosier and warmer, this itself helps in reducing the amount that I stress. The warmth and love always makes me feel better and helps me to think in a more positive way. Being on my own for long periods is never good for people like me. I tend to start thinking far too much during these periods - or perhaps I should change the word thinking to worrying. This thinking is probably better described as worrying.

Taking the dog on these walks to the park is also a great form of exercise for me. I am sure that I do not have to explain the health benefits of exercise to the readers of this article, but you can see that this is another good reason for owning a dog. I personally find that taking the dog for a walk enables me to clear my mind. As an example, if my wife or children are starting to annoy or nag me, which in turn can lead me to becoming a bit stressed, or if I have had a bad day at work; I have various roles for a DVD replication company, I provide Psychic Readings as well as a professional pet insurance service; this is then the time that I will put the dog on her lead and take her for a walk. There have been days when I have done this on more than have a dozen times! I hope that when I return home that the house will be a lot calmer and a more relaxed place to be.

Stress Is Not Cool - Not At All…

Stress is when your peace of mind is interrupted and your emotions are worked up. You can feel stress in your home, work or your child can feel stress at school. If not handled properly, it can mess with our minds and our health.

Stress feels like you are carrying a large burden on your shoulders. You have a lot of responsibilities that seem like it all falls toward you and no one else. You have feelings of anxiety and frustration.  Stress can contribute to health issues like gum disease.

There are times when you will get angry because so much has come upon you and it seems to be overwhelming. You feel overpowered to do anything so it’s easy for you to get into worrying about things that you can’t control.

It doesn’t have to be big things that will cause stress. It could be some of the smallest things that can set you off and make you tense.

There are different things and events that can cause you to be stressed. What may cause stress for one person may not be the same for someone else. It’s basically different strokes for different folks when it comes to stress.

Stress can be physical, internal, emotional and external. They can be caused by a loss you’ve experienced, overworking yourself, sickness, arguments and other problems that you face.

You can also experience stress from office politics. This is not something that you should get involved in. It is not good for you mentally, especially if you’re dealing with other problems. Office politics can be very brutal and you have to know how to deal with it. The last thing you want to do is to bring it home with you.

One of the worst things you can do is to turn to drugs or alcohol to relieve stress. You will be on a never ending loop and things can go further south from there. If you do develop that gum disease we talked about, try the hydrofloss or therabreath mouthwash for better oral hygiene.  So, therefore it is extremely important to watch over your dental health during times of stress. This would include pregnancy when the risk of getting gum disease rises. 

Getting rid of stress is important for many aspects of your life.  Stress levels vary, but if you learn could stress management techniques, you might live a happier, longer and more fulfilling life.

Tips For Overcoming High Stress Levels

Today, due to the economic climate it seems that more people are under deeper stress than before.  Life is definitely tough sometimes but with the US unemployment rate at or over ten percent, many believe the true number is higher, individual stress levels appear to be increasing.

So, what are some simple things we can do to alleviate stress? These may be obvious, but sometimes a little reminder is helpful.

1. Listen to your favorite music

2. There are alpha wave attunement CDs that allow your mind to move into an alpha wave state - also known as ‘relaxed alertness’.

3. Meditation - The most powerful and relaxing set of meditative exercises I know of are from Falun Dafa to be found for free at FalunDafa.org

4. Take time to quietly sit and think of nothing in particular - this is close to, but not as good as the meditation mentioned above. 

Another thing to be conerned about during times of higher stress is yor oral health.  Stress is a contributing / risk factor for gum disease.

To help counter act this use an oral irrigator like the hydrofloss.

Gum disease is a big problem anyway, and people need to know what they can do about this silent epidemic that may afflict up to 75% of all people according to statistics.  Some say the numbers are even higher.

Take a look at the special mouthwash made by a company called therabreath.

Finally, some people prefer a more natural approach to fighting oral health problems.  In that case, there is an essential oil blend known as oramd that you may find helpful. 

When stress levels are high, it is much easier for verbal and even physical conflicts to occur between people. Now is the time, more than ever, to keep a cool head and be kind, forgiving and compassionate to our fellow man.  As high as our personal stress level may be, remember your neighbor’s could be even higher. 

Forgive and forget and move on.

Finally, reward yourself by watching a cool, exciting and yet relaxing show called Shen Yun : ShenYunPerformingArts.org