Your colleague is clearly asleep. You can hear your colleague snoring above the tap of your keyboard.
Instead of being annoyed by the snoring, however, you feel soothed. As you work on the June sales analysis, you feel a sense of well-being.
A dog is your colleague.
This blog will examine the positive and negative effects of working at home with a dog. We shouldn’t be too fixated on having a cute labradoodle to our side, as this can lead to his long-term welfare. Is your hybrid working right now? What does hybrid working now mean for you and your dog?
According to the PDSA, 26% adults in the UK have a dog. When lockdowns were first implemented in 2020, and working at home increased exponentially in 2018, it caused some tails to wag in delight.
In many cases, humans shared the joy as well. One of the few perks of early Covid days was that dog owners who had office jobs could look at their faithful companions during the nine to five hours from their homes. Only the organizers of “Bring Your Pet to Work Day” were disgruntled.
Many more people decided they wanted a piece of the add-a-dog-to-the-family action and demand for dogs and other pets went through the roof in 2020 AND 2021. 62% UK households own pets in 2021-2022, up from 40% in 2018-2019. This is a significant jump.
Is a pet dog good for your well-being if you work from home?
You could work from home with your dog to:
Move! To be more healthy, get off your desk at work. microbreaks . It is just as beneficial for Delilah, the Dobermann, to move your body and let the dog go. It is easy to avoid injuries by moving regularly. Back ache Other musculoskeletal issues
Get more active Before work, after work, and on a Lunch break Because you love to walk your dog. Exercise stimulates the release endorphins, which are ‘feel good’ hormones. The benefits are yours Mentally You’ll be able to get more done both mentally and physically by taking your dog for walks in all weathers.
Do not work for too long hours Your health. Katharine Metters is the lead consultant in ergonomics for Posturite. “An animal gives you a routine.” “He/she is a reminder to get up and go because that routine can be helpful to you.”
Feel less lonely Working from home isn’t an option. mental health challenges . It is not the case. We can feel isolated from lack of contact. 20% of those working from home in Great Britain reported feeling less well. ONS survey In August 2021. Being with a four-legged friend is a great way to have fun, comfort and even therapeutic moments. The best thing about being a dog owner? You get to talk to your human neighbors often!
Feel less stressed. Harvard University reports that “Dogs’ soothing effect upon humans appears to help people manage stress. Research suggests that dogs have less stress-related cardiovascular reactions. This means that dogs’ heart rate and blood pressure are less affected by stress and they return to normal faster, which can help reduce the negative effects of stress on their bodies.
Harvard Report suggests that dogs are likely to lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease in their owners, but there is no clear cause-and-effect relationship.
My beloved Border Terrier, who is a regular visitor to my desk every day, does a lot to ease the stress of deadlines. She is a friend, confidante, and hot water bottle to me.
Posturite’s webinar How to reduce stress at work is also available. This webinar was presented by their guest speaker, a business psychologist. No dog required.
Companionship was the top reason to get a dog. New research from Dogs Trust, which surveyed 8,050 dog owners and 2,884 potential owners, shows that 8 out of 10 dog owners stated companionship as the primary reason they bought a dog. According to the University of York’s Research, 91% of dog owners stated that their pets were an “important source of emotional support”. This was based on a survey of 5,926 U.K. residents about their mental health and wellbeing as well as their relationships with their pets.
Even if you don’t own a dog you can avoid the inactivity traps of working from home. These are some ideas by Posturite to help you increase your work-from-home activity.
