How Getting Josie & Edie Changed My Mental Health For The Better
How getting josie & edie changed my mental health
During this difficult and challenging time of uncertainty, I’m seeking comfort from Josie and Edie more than ever. It’s been almost 3 years since we bought Josie home and I had no idea just how much she was going to change my life and I will never be able to express just how grateful I am for the impact she’s had on my mental health. I’ve struggled a lot over the past few years and there are certain things that I know I’ll always struggle with to some extent. But, Josie and Edie have both helped me a huge amount and this is how having dogs has helped my mental health for the better.
reminding me the importance of getting outside
Things in the world right now aren’t simple and for many who are self-isolating going outside may not be an option. However, as we’re just at the social distancing stage right now our dogs walks feel more important than ever not just for Josie and Edie but for us humans too. I’ve worked at home for almost 7 years now and something that I know all too well is the importance of getting outside. However, when my schedule becomes busy it’s all too easy to push it to the side and stay indoors for a few days and that was something I was incredibly guilty of doing in the past but now I don’t have the choice but to get outside. Whilst I may not always be in the mood to go for a walk, especially in the colder months I know that Josie and Edie need me to get out and I always feel a hundred times better for getting outside in the fresh air.
reminding me that the world is bigger than my brain
When I’m going through a low patch mentally something that my brain is all too good at making me think is that every bad thought that runs through my brain is true and the entire world is against me, which is never true but it can be all-consuming. As soon as I bought Josie and then Edie into my life it helped me so much with knowing that it was no longer just about me. Having two little hounds who rely on me on a daily basis is something that has helped my mind an incredible amount and it’s helped boost my confidence within myself too.
reminding me to have a little more faith in myself
Having any type of pet is difficult in its own way and having two dogs has presented me with more challenges than I thought. Before the girls came into my life if you’d told me some of the things that I’ve had to handle I probably would have laughed at you and called you a liar. But, almost three years on it’s fair to say that I’ve had to deal with things that I never even dreamed of when I became a dog owner and some of those things we’re still dealing with now. Even though they’re hard and sometimes incredibly stressful it has taught me that I’m much more capable than I give myself credit for. Josie and Edie are not perfect dogs at all but they’re pretty awesome and unbelievably loving and that’s all I can ask for and everything else is manageable.
reminding me nothing is permanent
It’s all too easy for me to get stuck on something, even when things are going well my brain tends to press pause and it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that how things are right now is how they’re going to be forever. Something that the dogs constantly remind me of is that the way that I might be feeling right now will never last forever whether it’s good or bad. Worrying myself into such a state is never going to change the outcome of something even though my mind can convince me otherwise.
reminding me to think before i judge someone else
Making a snap judgement of someone whether it’s in your head or something that you voice is something that I think everyone does. It’s not a nice trait to have at all but it’s all too easy to do it without even thinking twice. One of the most important lessons Josie and Edie have taught me is that until you get to know somebody then you simply cannot judge them and I think that’s probably all something we could do a lot more of. Dogs cannot put any preconceived notions on someone that society might have taught them about how someone looks or how someone acts, they wait, have a little introduction and then figure out where they stand with each other.
