How might our adopted companions contribute to our health and well-being?

Currently, in this new virtual lifestyle, we’ve been adapting to, many of these family friends are joining their human comrades in virtual meetings, workshops, online networking, LIVE online training events, and family Facetime calls. The smiles they bring along with their unconditional attentiveness can make any situation feel a bit easier.

What emotions come to the surface when we experience a furry friend visiting our virtual meetings? What’s noteworthy about this?

When we take a break from our virtual devices and step outside for a moment, we may frequently see people out with their dogs walking in the neighborhood enjoying each other’s company. When we see them, we may think of our pets who have been with us during difficult times. What feels significant about this?

According to CDC.org, “there are many health benefits of owning a pet. They can increase opportunities to exercise, get outside, and socialize. Regular walking or playing with pets can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels.  Pets can help manage loneliness and depression by giving us companionship.” (Healthy pets, healthy people)

Whether we enjoy the camaraderie of canines, felines, reptiles, rabbits, or rodents, having the unlimited commitment from our adopted family members can provide comfort that we never have to feel alone, no matter the predicament at hand.

During this ongoing crisis we’re all experiencing, we may remember companions that are no longer with us, wishing they were still here smothering us with unconditional love. If we’re unable to have another comrade of our own, for any reason, that’s when we might ask relatives, friends, and neighbors if they can share their companions with us through video calls, recordings, and photos to provide us with smiles and laughter.

It can brighten what might otherwise seem like a gloomier day. Since we’re now online more than we could’ve ever imagined, these companions can offer a lot of new opportunities and hope.

Whether we’re working from home or home without work, it’s important to keep ourselves healthy and positive. The unconditional love and pleasure we share with pets are an amazing resource for support, laughter, and even exercise to help us stay strong and optimistic.

Did you know laughter boosts our immune system? Laughter relieves physical tension, reduces stress hormone release, and boosts your immune system building our resilience to disease according to the Mayo Clinic. How many times may we have viewed hilarious pet videos and laughed our sides off?

So, let’s do something to smile and laugh ourselves healthy.

What are some of the things we are currently doing with our pets to sustain our well-being?

What is something new and enjoyable we can do with our adopted friends? If we don’t have a pet, who might we know that has one?

Who might we know that doesn’t have pets and might appreciate calls, videos, or photos of ours?

Although life is never predictable, we always have the power to make creative choices to add some sunshine on a cloudy day! What might we do to make sure it happens?

What kind of “ME” time may we plan for ourselves that includes our loving companions? Why might this feel important?

How might sharing some of our “ME” time with them feel beneficial?

It’s “ME” Monday®! Let’s be creative and plan something pleasurable with our pets today and find out!

By implementing a “ME” Monday® routine today, we can improve our overall ROI to have a great today and determine the tomorrow we deserve!