How Otters and Other Animals Are Good For Your Mental Health

#mentalhealth #animals #kpassionate
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00:00 - Seeing Wildlife Changed My Day
00:47 - The Mental Health Benefits of Animals
02:03 - Compassion Fatigue
04:21 - Healing Power of Zoos and Aquariums
06:18 - Live Wildlife Cams
07:00 - Birdwatching Has Big Mental Health Benefits
07:46 - Urban Rewilding
08:23 - Rescued Sea Otter Pup

Have you ever encountered an animal that changed your entire day? I will never forget the first time I saw a wild sea otter. I was walking home from the marine mammal rescue center in Alaska where I was helping raise an orphaned sea otter pup. I had stopped to take in the incredible view when this little guy popped up out of the water. Even though I had worked hands-on with sea otters for almost a decade at that point, I had never seen one in the wild. It was more thrilling and awe-inspiring than I would have ever expected. It left me reinvigorated and recharged after a long shift at the rescue center.

The bond between humans and animals has long been recognized as a powerful tool for emotional and psychological support. Most of us are intensely familiar with the ways that pets can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Research clearly shows that just a few minutes of simply petting a dog, cat, or other animals can lower cortisol levels, which is a hormone associated with stress. Petting dogs, cats, and other animals can also increase levels of the feel-good hormone called oxytocin, a hormone that promotes feelings of bonding.

Interacting with animals also improves our cardiovascular health by encouraging exercise and playfulness, either through games like fetch or taking them for a walk. Dogs can even smell emotions. Which is how they always seem to know when to comfort us when we’re feeling down.

Wild animals also hold the power to promote happiness and reduce stress. From chance encounters with animals like deer and foxes to more rare and remote animals like orcas and sea otters. A recent study found that going to zoos and aquariums can have a significant positive impact on the physiological and psychological health of guests. They found a significant drop in blood pressure and cortisol levels, which remember, is a stress hormone. Psychological assessments also found that visitors felt happier, more energized, and less tense.

Cited Sources:
[1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...
[2] https://www.nature.com/articles/s4159...
[3] https://time.com/6231886/birdwatching...
[4] https://journals.plos.org/plosone/art...
[5] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1...
[6] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20163...
[7] https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/22/world/...
[8] https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-...
[9] https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health...

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Additional Imagery
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NOAA Fisheries
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=106...
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Marine Mammal Rescue Society
   • Live Sea Otter Cam - Monterey Bay Aqu...  
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