When Stress Hits Hard

Photo Resource: Pixmac.com

Life tends to go by very fast these days. Many of those days are stressful. Owning a pet can be stressful for some. Many of us will ignore the stress until something drastic happens. That happened to me recently. As many of you know, I attend school part-time and work as a dog walker while I've been looking for that ideal career job. Luckily, I have a lead and hope it will get me started in the right direction.

This week, I'm in the middle of finals. I went in for a long, overdue haircut and came across the realization that my hair was physically affected by the stress. It's not like it happened on its own. However, I'd been in such a get up and go mode for many days, I kept pulling my hair back in clips and rubberbands. After awhile, my hair became weakened because of all the pulling.

Any time you repeat certain physical actions, it's usually as a result of reacting to stress. Nothing brings on stress like uncertainty.A little bit of stress is good. It keeps you on your toes, helps your productivity and challenges you. However, when stress goes into overload mode, it takes its toll.

We're living in difficult times. Unemployment has remained high since 2009. There have been record foreclosures. As rewarding as it is to own a dog, it's frustrating as not being able to bring them in for a checkup because a person can't afford it. Worse yet, many owners have had to give up their family friend for the same reason. Even though I'm not working permanently, I'm able to provide for my pets with the support of my family behind me.

What The Wake Up Call Told Me

After this happened, I decided to find more of a balance. Here are some things I've done to keep the stress at bay.

1. Exercise more. Exercise has a way of taking away the stress impact. While I love walking my dogs, other types of exercise like strength building are just as important
2. Have more of a routine. When you have an irregular schedule, it can take its toll. Consistency is very important.
3. Relax. We schedule things to do all the time but never schedule time to relax.
4. Spring cleaning. It's a great release of stress and combats it head on.
5. Breathe. It may be a cliche but then again, cliches are usually true.
6. The video below shows dogs just enjoying life because they're riding a car. It was shot by Keith Hopkin and it's one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time. It reminds up that dogs can find happiness in the simplest things and maybe we should take a page from that book

Let's Discuss!

Life has a funny way of making us slow down when we least expect it. I'm looking forward to this. How about you? What are some things you do to combat stress? How does your pet help?

It's All Related

Happy Dogs Video
How Organization Helps Dog Owners

How Organization Helps Dog Owners

I have never been a very organized person. There are times when being organized has hit me in small bursts. But, I'm the type who loves to collect things. I do this because you never know when you'll need it. However, collecting things is only useful if you can find them easily. If you have everything in a big pile, then you're going to spend lots of time trying to track it down.

What made me take note of this was going to a conference in San Antonio with my school. We were in a website competition and competed in other contests as well. We were fortunate enough to place 1st in the website competition but fell short in the others. Part of the reason was that I didn't have the files I needed easily findable.

Each challenge we have teaches us something. Sometimes, we have to take a step back and look at what we have and what we need. It's why I was always drawn to shows like Clean Sweep. Organizing helps bring order to chaos and gets rid of the overwhelming feeling that happens when we let one too many things slide.

How It Benefits Our Dogs

Dogs are first and foremost pack animals. Like humans, they crave a routine. When my dogs know that it's time to eat or walk time, a sheer rush of excitement comes over them. Routine builds structure. With structure comes calmness. Your pets will be happy and your life will move at a more steady pace.

Taking The First Steps

When you have lots of organizing to do, the hardest part is taking the first step. Yet, it's the most important step you'll take. Even if you just do a little each day, you're one step closer than before.

I hope to start with my computer and then will bridge out to my paperwork. After that, spring cleaning can really start.

Let's Discuss!

What about you? How does organization help you as a pet owner?