It doesn’t take much time with a pet to understand the profound impact they can have on your mental health. Pets just make you a happier person to be around. National Pet Day is April 11 and that is the perfect time to explore the benefits pets offer their owners. What you may not know is that among the benefits to consider when it comes to owning pets is better overall health. These are just a few ways owning a pet can help your health.

• Pets can help lower your blood pressure. It’s true! One study even determined that petting a dog for as few as 15 minutes can reduce blood pressure. You must be touching the dog, according to the study, to experience the blood pressure-reducing benefits.
• Owning pets reduces anxiety. Fitting since April is also National Stress Awareness Month. Getting a pet can help on both accounts.
• Pet owners suffer from depression less frequently than those who do not own pets.
• Owning a pet can help you get more exercise in your day. Even if you don’t have to take your pet on walks, you do take extra steps when caring for your pet. These steps add up. If you have a dog you walk at least 20 minutes per day you may even lose weight without adjusting your diet.

Of course, none of these benefits surpass the emotional benefits of pet ownership and having a companion that is with you at all times. There is a sense of purpose involved in owning and caring for a pet. Your pet depends on you and that keeps you active, happy, and moving! All of these things are good for your health, both mentally and physically.

Types of Pets to Consider

While the most common pets people consider are cats and dogs, they are far from the only options available. Any pet can help you connect with the world around you on a deeper level and give you another living being to care for. This includes any of the following:

• Snakes. Eep! However, even snakes become attached to their owners and may even seek affection and companionship. While not the right pet for everyone, they are a good option for people who suffer from allergies and need an alternative to pets with fur or feathers.
• Rabbits. These do have fur, but they are fun to watch and do not require the same degree of care and maintenance as cats or dogs. Rabbits are good companion animals for those who live in small spaces or apartments yet deliver the same happy hormones you experience from petting dogs.
• Fish. While fish do require a fairly large degree of care when getting started, they are fairly low-maintenance once you have the levels in the water just right. Plus, watching fish has a calming effect when it comes to heart rate and stress.
• Birds. For some people, there is nothing on earth quite like a songbird. Be careful when choosing birds, though, as some of them have longer lives than the average human and can easily outlive their owners. Oh, and if you get one that can learn to speak, it will only ever repeat the things you do not want it to!

Reducing stress is important in these trying times. From pets to meditation to paying off your debt, stress-relief is something you can achieve. We’ll work with you to keep you on track as you work to get out of debt for good. What a relief that will be.