PHOTOS: De-Stressing Inspiration From Cats And Dogs
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After a long, hard day on the job, there's nothing like a loving tail-wag or an empathetic purr to help you feel at peace.
Pet owners will tell you that their dogs and cats help them de-stress and feel good, and there's science to back those claims: Studies have shown owning a pet makes you more likely to be happy and have a better sense of self. An office dog might even help to lower workers' stress.
Those with pets at home could also have a lower risk for dying after a heart attack, better ability to stabilize blood pressure in response to stress and a more adaptable heart rate.
And even if you don't have the means to care for an animal of your own, the physical act of petting a dog could boost your levels of oxytocin -- those feel good hormones -- while reducing levels of the stress hormone, cortisol.
Since our animals possess all these relaxation powers, we thought it'd be fun to see how they de-stress -- hey, perfecting the piano and retrieving the mail can be stressful, for sure!
So we asked you to send in photos of your pets at their most relaxed. It looks like there's a lot we stressed out humans can learn: from sitting on a favorite cushion to contemplating in the sun. See how these cats and dogs chill out, then submit a photo of your own four-legged friend in the slideshow below.
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"My oh so relaxed pup Meiji. He's a chihuahua and he is relaxed!" - <a href="https://twitter.com/GigglingGibby">@GigglingGibby</a>
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"Sally in the sun." - <a href="https://twitter.com/creativespin">@creativespin</a>
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"Relaxing outdoors." - <a href="https://twitter.com/C62Hendrick">@C62Hendrick</a>
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"The best stress reliever ever!!! Relaxing with my Jazmin on the couch after a long day! " - <a href="https://twitter.com/kimmijax">@kimmijax</a>
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"Miss Pearl, stretched out after a long day of playing with her sister, Jazmin." - <a href="https://twitter.com/kimmijax">@kimmijax</a>
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"Zen Miss Moose in the Garden." - Meghan Duprey
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"Yin Yang foster kitties." - Meghan Duprey
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"This pillow quickly became Pickles the cat's very own totally relaxing bean bag chair." - <a href="https://twitter.com/sarklei">@SarKlei</a>
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"ohmmmmm ... Galileo." - <a href="https://twitter.com/lisi74">@lisi74</a>
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"This is my baby Grizzle -- chilling out!" - <a href="https://twitter.com/Thel1ttlelady">@Thel1ttlelady</a>
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"Here's my boy relaxed yet alert." - <a href="https://twitter.com/infinitimel">@infinitimel</a>
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"My #Chihuahua #zenpet relaxing after his epic battle in his @YouTube video beating up @Petco loofa" - <a href="https://twitter.com/HazardSports">@HazardSports</a>
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"This is a pic of my cat, Sookie, relaxing!" - Marsha Wheatley
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"This is Jack." - Laura MacDonald
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"Farley taking in some relaxing Himalayan Salt crystal rays." - <a href="https://twitter.com/@dk_adams">@dk_adams</a>
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"This is Perri relaxing on the couch." - Dagmar Rodriguez
For more on unplugging and recharging, click here.
Source: www.huffingtonpost.com
