Oh Those Dog Doctors & Cat Nurses-
As smart and as clever as we think our cats and dogs are, I don’t believe they will be coming up with an antidote to help us out of our current pandemic. Yet animals have the uncanny capability to provide their human friends with a unique remedy to help us through these unprecedented and worrisome times.
Probably, like you, I wake up every day dreading what the world news will bring. More people are expected to become ill, some are dying, and more isolation is called for. It’s important to be sensible and to follow the recommendations of experts but it’s also easy to slip into anxiety, feed into the fear, and worry about the future.
In my acupuncture practice I would encourage my clients to prepare in advance for the unexpected moments through prevention. Not only by eating healthy plant-based foods and exercising but also by meditating, practicing mindfulness, engaging in a gratitude practice or my favorite – practicing The Animal-Human Health Connection. This is what I am doing with my new rescue dog, Grace.
The Animal-Human Health Connection
Although Grace arrived with a fair amount of baggage from a well-publicized hoarding situation in Rowe, New Mexico, she has given many of her troubles up over the last few weeks as her confidence and trust grows. I feel a difference in myself as well. Ken says he doesn’t remember ever seeing me so happy. And I am. I hate to run and am not a big hiker but I love hiking with Grace, chasing her in the snow or just walking side by side along the train tracks. Instead of spending my days worrying about the coronavirus, I laugh at Grace snoring on the couch, or take a break from my computer to watch her lips twitching as she dreams.
At night, Ken and I make a Grace sandwich where we squeeze her between us and give her plush fur a massage. When my eyes connect with Grace’s, she gives way to a goofy smile and I feel her gratitude for her new life. Exercise, laughter, touch, connection, gratitude, and love – these are just some of the many gifts our animal friends offer our wellbeing. These life-enhancing qualities also decrease our stress levels, feed our immunity, and increase our emotional resilience. God forbid, we come down with any illness, but if we do, it’s our animal friends who stay by our side, comforting us through better or worse.
Generally, we get so busy with the details of every day life that we forget that our best friends can often be wonderful dog doctors, or cat nurses – available to us 24/7 during the most difficult times of our lives. If you have a cat or dog or other animal companion in your home, consider using your social distancing time to connect with them more. If you don’t have a companion, maybe now, is the perfect time to adopt one; when so many dogs and cats are filling our animal shelters and so few people will be there to help them.
Social Distancing in Reverse
During our time of social distancing from humans, Grace and I are doing the opposite; we are bonding more with each other. One of the ways I am experiencing a deeper connection to her is by daily journaling like I am doing now with my book, Paws for the Good Stuff, a dog lover’s journal for creating a happier and more pawsitive life.
Every day I am following the short prompts in the journal, and jotting down the ways that Grace helps me discover more gratitude and happiness in my life. Research shows that gratitude, journaling, and our connection to animals are three powerful ways to boost our wellbeing. Now more than ever, we need to discover, nurture, and build these natural defenses to strengthen our physical, emotional, and mental resilience.
Please take good care of yourself and your families during these challenging times. Also keep in mind that all difficulties can be opportunities with just a slight change in perspective. Times like these force us to live a day at a time, to find gratitude for all that we have, and to remember that love is the answer – something that Grace teaches me every day.
Stay Pawsitive,
Carlyn MDO
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