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Suffering from Academic Stress? Let us know

Any one who has or had a dog would agree with me on this point, that tending a dog invariably means adieu to anxieties. Dogs are not called ‘miniature angels’ for nothing. The love they shower on us is always unconditional. They are always forgiving, always loyal, never tired of your company, and aren’t these the qualities that symbolize an angelic avatar? For me they are; and when one has the constant companionship of one such personal angel, how can they be affected by any sort of apprehension. There has always been a dog in my family, and I must say that all the dogs we have included in our household, have remained (for their entire lifetime) the favorite family member, and mind you, it means a lot when there are more than one fanatical kindred in your family. Their (dog’s) patience, loyalty, and affection make them so likable. In fact, as pointed out by D Carnegie ‘A dog is the only animal that doesn’t have to work for a living.’ like ‘A hen has to lay eggs, a cow has to give milk, and a canary has to sing. But a dog makes his living by giving you nothing but love.’ and still they are the best-loved animal all over the globe. How do dogs help one fight stress? Many studies have been conducted on the topic, and all of them had asserted that, indeed, dogs have the potential of significantly reducing the depressive symptoms. Find out the benefits of having your pack, even if the constituent of that pack is just one alpha and a beta, that can give a boost to your academic career- Increases the level of Oxytocin and Dopamine

A research paper, Anthrozoös: A Multidisciplinary Journal of the Interactions of People and Animals, has explicitly stated that there is a considerable increment in the oxytocin, dopamine (aka ‘happy’ hormones) level of dog owners after interacting with their dogs for 1 to 5 minutes. A more recent study has even declared that gazing directly into the eyes of your cherished dog, can instantly give a spike to these happy hormones. And apparently, the more such compounds run in your blood, the calmer person you would be. Bringing discipline in your life

Tending a dog invariably makes you a more responsible person. Dogs require a proper feeding and a regular exercise schedule. A consistent routine is essential for the raising of a balanced dog, and the efforts you make to accomplish this, brings in the required discipline in your life too. A single plaintive look from your dog has the power of eradicating all of your procrastination tendency. The more time you spend with a dog, the more practical person you would become; this proposition is also backed by the study that states that dog owners are far more likely to meet their daily exercise requirements, than their counterparts. Trust building exercise

If you are a university student, then you must already be aware how important trust exercises are for the sound functioning of multiple group seminars, and research teams. In fact, the benefits of these trust exercises are not limited to the development of teams only. Many people, who are regularly engaged in trust exercises are found to be more optimistic, realistic, practical and overall happier than the persons who are not. Therefore, there is no doubt how trust building activities can reduce the stress levels of a person. And when it comes to the practical approach of the same, one can, by no means, find an ally better than a dog. Evidently, you can not ask your dog ‘do my assignment’, but you can always ask them to be there for you, when you are writing your assignment; and is it not the best kind of trust one can have, that someone will always be there to keep your company, no matter how dreadful is the task you’re involved in? Makes you more sociable

Maintaining a social life becomes harder with the increase in our responsibilities. Ofttimes, students engaged in higher education are always busy with multiple seminars and then tedious coursework, that they can hardly take out the time out of their busy schedule to socialize with people. This may make them grumpy and after some time even unsociable. However, tending a dog can keep you in a healthy state of mind, you can always have this companion by your side, without having to tweak adjustments in their schedule. Feeling an itch to adopt a dog now, do so immediately and win the battle against anxiety, simply by fondling your adorable comrade.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Olivia James .