For entrepreneurs and business owners, time is precious and having a pet may be seen as time-consuming and an added expense. But could owning a dog actually be beneficial to your business? Absolutely! Not only do dogs provide endless love and companionship, but they can also have a positive impact on your entrepreneurial endeavors. Here are five ways that entrepreneurs benefit from owning a dog.
Better Work-Life Balance
If you are looking to improve your work-life balance then a dog will quite literally force you to do this. You now have a trusty adventure buddy by your side who wants to see the world and needs you to show them how. Instead of working on the weekends, you and your dog will be kayaking down a calm river or hiking in the mountains. A dog is a constant reminder that there is more to life than just work and being able to enjoy the riches of your hard work is just as important! Don’t forget to purchase an indoor dog potty because this will be essential for pet owners to ensure their furry friends have a convenient and hygienic place to relieve themselves, especially during bad weather or when outdoor access is limited.
Improved Mental Health
Dogs have been man’s best friend for thousands of years and the loving companionship that is shared between them has been written about and celebrated through the ages. So, why did we choose these four-legged animals to walk by our side through our lives? The answer lies in the way they make us feel.
A recent survey by BarkBox found that 71% of dog parents believe their dog has made them happier and 85% agreed that having a dog helped them get through a difficult time in their life. So, the next time you’re burning the midnight oil, stressed about a task that needs to be completed. You might consider shutting the laptop and having a cuddle with your dog to still your mind and soothe your soul.
Increased Physical Activity
It’s incredibly easy to stay at your desk completing tasks, especially when there is an impending deadline, but have you considered the health costs of sitting and staring at a screen for a long time? As entrepreneurs, we have big dreams and that requires a lot of hard work and sacrifice. We often choose fast food to quickly satisfy our hunger and will forgo a gym session to finish a report.
You may eventually get to where you want to be financially or spiritually, but what is the point of all that hard work if you are in poor health and can’t enjoy it? That’s where owning a dog comes in handy! You might not want to go for a walk, but when you have a loving dog staring up at you, waiting patiently to go for their walk, you are much more inclined to take a break from the desk and go outside. This daily exercise is great for increasing your overall physical health, but is also great for your mental wellbeing too.
Stress Reduction
It’s common knowledge that owning your own business is stressful. From making enough money to cover all the bills to managing different types of people, being an entrepreneur can be incredibly worrisome. If this prolonged stress is left unchecked it can be detrimental to your overall health, in some cases even causing heart disease and high blood pressure. There is a way to combat this stress though and it has four paws and a wet nose! Research has shown that petting a dog for as little as 10 minutes significantly lowers the stress hormone, cortisol. This shows a direct correlation between owning a dog and a reduction in stress.
Boosted Productivity
It may seem counterintuitive but stepping away from your desk and taking a short break is better for your overall productivity than sitting down for hours on end trying to finish a task. You can probably even recall your own memory of working late and noticing small mistakes start to creep into your work because your mind was becoming foggy. Taking short breaks to play with your dog or take your dog for a walk is a great way to increase concentration, gain mental clarity and have a clearer headspace.
Conclusion
Owning a dog can be incredibly beneficial for entrepreneurs. Not only do they provide companionship, but they also help with improved mental and physical health, stress reduction, and increased productivity. They give us an extra level of motivation to make sure we take the time to enjoy our hard work and remind us that there is more to life than a paycheck.
