The 19th – 25th September is International Week of Happiness at Work, a week which raises awareness of our mental health and wellbeing at work.
How many of you struggle at work? How many of your workplaces allow pets in the building? Our daily workplace can be intense; full of busy individuals in fast-paced environments causing people to commonly suffer with stress and anxieties. Some workplaces can be extremely uninviting and stressful which can also affect team morale and mood.
Many organisations have started allowing dogs in their workplace. Recent studies have shown that having an office dog or being allowed to bring your dog into the workplace can help to reduce stress, boost morale, aid mental health and increase productivity.
A study in 2019 by Washington State University found that interacting with a dog for as little as 10 minutes produced a reduction in the stress hormone cortisol within students.
Dogs are known to bring happiness to our lives, giving many of us a purpose, love, and affection that we sometimes struggle to get from others. Having a dog in the workplace means that you are more likely to take your breaks, resulting in your relieving stress and being fresh to go back to your daily routine after making you more productive.
Companies such as Paws in Work are an external business that come into your workplace with an abundance of super cute puppies and offer both virtual and face-to-face specialist puppy therapy services for companies that are looking to combat stress, anxiety, improve staff well-being, morale, and team bonding.
They help to give staff the space to escape from everyday work stresses, relax and enjoy a cuddle! This puppy socialising also helps puppies to become acquainted with meeting and interacting with a variety of people enabling them to learn fundamental skills at a young age for when they grow up.
Why not suggest a pet day once a month in your workplace?