Owning a pet is a win-win solution for your mental and pet. (Image via: Property24)
Are you owning a pet now? Or, are you not? Well, instead of having a pet, nowadays, some cafes and restaurants offer a “pet time” with cats, dogs, or other cute beings. But, if you have not got yourselves a pet now, we suggest that you should grab one!
Why? Well, it is a common sense that somehow pet is related to your happiness and stress relief. But, now, it is no longer a sense since a scientific study proved it true, at least according to research published in the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Open.
The research involved 249 university students. The reason was that university student nowadays is facing tasks, assignments, and not to mention, their future student loans repayment. Therefore, it is plausible that they have a high level of stress in their minds. The objective of this research was to determine the cortisol levels within these students. Cortisol is a hormone released by the body in response to stress.
These 249 students then were divided into 4 separate groups. The first group (the luckiest one) had the chance to interact with cats or dogs for 10 minutes. The second group could only see these cats and dogs but must not interact. The third group could only watch a slideshow about the cuteness of these cats and dogs. The fourth group did not even acknowledge any pet; they just sat with their phones, reading material, etc.
The researchers then collected the students’ cortisol level in the morning and every 15 and 25 minutes pre and post 10-minute experiment.
The result might shock you that in only 10 minutes of interaction with those cats and dogs, the first group’s cortisol level went down significantly. Keep in mind that it was only 10 minutes. Therefore, it was concluded that interaction with pets can help alleviate your stress. In the long term, it could contribute tremendously to your physical and psychological health over time.
