Last month in the Forward Emotion blog, we talked about the benefits of telehealth for mental health appointments, and how telehealth appointments are an integral part of clients maintaining the momentum that they have made in counseling or coaching during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place guidelines. In that blog, I mentioned that I have had the unique experience of getting to know my clients in their own environments, including meeting their pets.
It is interesting how much of a uniquely intimate experience it is to see a client with their pet. Even though we have talked through some very personal experiences from their lives, and I have gotten to know my clients in a very personal way, there is something different and very special about seeing how they interact with their pets. In some ways, people are their most open, most authentic selves when they are around their pets, and it is a side of them that you don’t always get to see.
The Science Behind Why Pets Make Us Feel Good
Science has shown that when pets and humans snuggle, we all benefit from increased production of oxytocin (the love hormone), serotonin (the stability hormone), and dopamine (the happy hormone). We produce those beneficial hormones and so do our pets when we are snuggling and spending time together. When people are home every single day with their pets, they are getting these benefits on a regular basis. And while I haven’t done the research, it’s probably pretty safe to say that most people aren’t experiencing these same hormonal surges when they are in a conference room at the office.
A love of animals can unite people across races, political parties, religions, gender identities, income levels, and all those things that can cause people to not understand one another or to develop assumptions about someone. A love of animals can help people relate to each other when they might not have any mutual interests or lifestyles. Seeing a photo of the boss’s dog or the teacher’s cat can make them seem more approachable and easier to talk to.
Pets Lighten The Mood During Web Calls
Anyone who has been on a tense work video call knows that there is nothing like a sleepy lap dog or a cat walking across the keyboard to lighten the mood during stressful meetings. In some ways it is as if the presence of the person’s pet reveals their true self. Interacting with your pet lets other people see the real person behind any facades that they have created. You see them experience a new type of joy, adopt a different tone of voice, and really let their vulnerabilities show. Watching someone interact with their pet is like a glimpse into their true self.
Meatloaf joins me on a web call
Researchers have even studied this and learned that seeing someone with a dog actually makes them more likable. Now, I don’t share this because I want you to use your pet to win a popularity contest. I share this because it indicates that a pet makes a person seem more like their true self. In the study, participants looked at photos of an empty scene, the same scene with a person, and the same scene with a person and a dog. According to the findings of the study, the results, “indicate that people appear happier, safer, and make a better ‘picture’ when seen with a dog. Also, the results show that people appear more relaxed when sitting or standing with a dog. Finally, when asked to place themselves in the scene, subjects would rather be in a scene with a dog than alone.”
So, when your cat or dog hops onto your next Zoom call, let them join you. Much of the world is working from their home right now. Your coworkers know that there are possible pets and children roaming through your workspace. Not only will your pet boost all of those feel-good hormones in you, but they will also give your coworkers a glimpse of a happier, more relaxed side of you that maybe they’ve never seen.
