Page 27 - Reading Success B8

Living in a fast-paced world like ours could be very stressful. It is no wonder that many
people engage in a wide variety of activities to relax and unwind . When thinking of ways
to reduce stress, meditation and yoga immediately come to mind. These are highly
popular activities that aim to teach strategies on how to cope with everyday stress.
New studies reveal that getting a new best friend can also have many stress-relieving
and health benefits. Unless a person extremely dislikes animals, it is almost impossible to
stay in a bad mood when pets start to snuggle close. Research supports the mood-
enhancing effects of pets. In a recent study, men with AIDS who owned pets were found
to be less likely to suffer from depression than men with AIDS who did not have pets.
Pets are also linked to stabilizing blood pressure better than prescribed drugs. While
there are drugs that can generally reduce blood pressure, they are not as effective on
controlling sudden rise in blood pressure due to stress and tension. In a study of a group
of hypertensive New York stockbrokers, those who got dogs or cats were found to have
lower blood pressure and heart rates than those who didn’t get pets.
Moreover, because pets, particularly dogs need to be walked regularly, pet owners are
able to exercise and enjoy it more so because of the company of their pets. Exercise is
good for stress management and essential to overall health. Owning a dog can be
credited with achieving said benefits. Aside from helping pet owners stay in good physical
shape, dogs can also improve a person’s social life. Having a dog when walking can
make people more approachable thereby presenting an opportunity to gain more friends
and acquaintances, which also has great stress management benefits. Pets can also help
people overcome loneliness through the love and companionship the former provide at all
times. In fact, research shows that nursing home residents reported less loneliness when
visited by dogs than when they spent time with other people. All these benefits can
reduce the amount of stress people experience in response to feelings of social isolation
and lack of social support from people.
While sharing problems to human friends is a good way to release emotional burdens ,
recent research shows that spending time with a pet may be even better. A recent study
shows that, when conducting a stressful task, people who had their pets with them
experienced less stress than when a supportive friend or even their spouse was present.
Some say that this may be partially due to the fact that pets don’t judge us and just love
us.

However, owning a pet is certainly not for everyone because pets do come with
additional work and responsibilities, which can likewise lead to stress. Still, pet lovers
would agree that having a furry best friend could reduce stress in life and provide support
when times get tough.

Main Idea

What is the main idea of this story?

a. ways to reduce stress

b. the advantages and disadvantages of pet ownership
c. how pet ownership can help reduce stress

d. why dogs make the best pets

30_Reading Success B 8