Pets And A Healthy Brain: Why Pets Are Great for Mental Health

Did you know that having a pet improves your brain health, mental health, and promotes neuroplasticity? 

Humans aren’t meant to live in isolation, especially during high-stress moments like the COVID-19 pandemic. Isolation eventually makes it difficult to engage with people. But if you’re looking for healthy companionship, look no further than a pet. People turn to pets to help overcome mental and emotional stress. The bond you and a pet form can change your physiology, improve your mental and physical health, and influence healthy brain function.  

Three Ways Pets Support Mental Health

I want to explore three ways that having pets changes the brain and improves your neurological and mental health. 

1. Having Pets Reduces Stress

Pets want your attention. When you’re working and your cat begins to nuzzle up to you or when your dog wants a belly rub, giving them your attention helps reduce your stress. Even petting has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol in the body. Cortisol is a stress hormone that prepares your body for “fight or flight” in the face of danger. High levels of cortisol over an extended period of time, kills brain cells that are responsible for short-term memory. 

Your body only needs to be in fight or flight mode when you’re in a dangerous or scary situation. Cortisol levels need to stay low to minimize stress. Giving your pet affection, not only satisfies their needs but also decreases your blood pressure and heart rate while improving your memory. 

2. Having Pets Improves Your mood

Your interactions with your pets do more than regulate stress hormones and improve heart and brain functions. Bonding with anyone or anything that you love releases “feel good”  hormones in your brain. The more you release “feel good” hormones, the more your mood elevates.

Oxytocin, the most popular “feel good” hormone is released when a mother gives birth and when she breastfeeds. It’s the hormone that increases your connection to your partner during sex, and especially when you orgasm. Oxytocin, sometimes referred to as the “love hormone” strengthens relationships. and bonds. With pets, oxycontin is also released through bonding and shared activities.

An Australian study found that 94% of people dealing with depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder reported a reduction of anxiety when petting their dog. Serotonin, the hormone in the brain that regulates anxiety, happiness, and mood plays a major role in mental health. Serotonin is also released when you spend quality time with your pet. 

Dopamine, the neurotransmitter involved in the reward and motivation pathways in your brain, is also released when you’re playing with your furry friends. Dopamine gives you a feeling of being “high.” It motivates you to continue bonding, petting, and playing with your pet because of the rewarding sensations that are released in the brain.

3. Having Pets, Especially a Dog, Increases Your Activity Level

Humans are designed to move and be physically active. When you have a dog, especially one who enjoys long walks or runs, you regularly get the added health benefits of exercising. 

The brains of modern humans are very different from the brains of our early ancestors. Over the millennia, our brains have gotten bigger and more complicated. The number of neurons and connections between them has increased in a process called encephalization. Research shows that the brain evolved this way as a need for early humans to run long distances. Constantly moving their bodies to escape from predators and chase down prey caused the brain to grow and the number of cells to expand to the numbers we now have today. 

Science has proven that regular exercise gives your brain everything it needs to make new neurons and new connections, a process known as neuroplasticity. Exercise promotes the brain’s ability to adapt, learn, and heal. Regular exercise is the best stress reliever, anti-depressant, and anti-anxiety treatment available. Exercise is also a necessary prescription for the prevention of disease and recovery from illness. Pets encourage you to exercise more and indirectly help you live a healthier life.

Pets: A Healthier Brain and A Healthier You

While having pets is certainly not for everyone there’s no denying that they offer significant health benefits. Whether it’s helping overcome the stressful moments in your life, improving your mood, or increasing activity levels, having a pet enhances your life by improving the mental and physiological health of your brain.