In order to continue creative work as COVID-19 takes up more and more of the headlines, I’ve also had to get creative about stress relief.
Anyone who’s ever come home from a hard day to a wagging tail or purring ball of fluff instinctively knows the stress relieving benefits of the animal kingdom. Turns out, there’s scientific evidence to support your intuition. Animals help release all sorts of fun chemicals in our brains such as oxytocin, endorphins, dopamine, and seratonin, all of which feel in short supply during this time of COVID-19 stress. I reached out on social medial and asked people to share pictures of their happiness inducing animals to create the gallery below.
Image description: Cat emerges from a sock drawer.
Image description: fluffy grey dog rides in a car.
Image description: fluffy tan/brown cat lies on his back on a wooden chair.
Image description: two medium sized short-haired dogs stand on a dog bed with snowflakes on their backs and heads.
Image description: medium sized tan dog and small white dog sleep snuggled up on a dog bed.
Image description: beige cat sleeps curled up on the back of a couch.
Image description: A medium sized tan dog play bows to an orange cat.
Image description: two orange cats take a nap curled together.
Image description: Small brown and white dog sits on a red,blue, and grey blanket.
Image description: Grey and white cat sits on a grey, blue, and purple blanket
Image description: cat with long grey hair appears among the folds of a fleece blanket.
Image description: black cat sits by a window, lit by the sunset.
