Motivational Interviewing: Can We Motivate People to Change?

Can we motivate people to change?
How do you encourage a person in the pre-contemplation stage, to take the next step on the cycle of change? Motivational interviewing (for beginners), may help the aspiring recovery coach, or concerned family and friends. Bear in mind, this is a simply approach to encourage a person to start thinking about change. They will eventually require experienced support.
How do you persuade a loved one or a close friend that they are destroying themselves and causing distress to those around them? How do you say that it is time to get professional help or go to a rehab?
The best way is for them to take ownership of their problem. But how will they do that if they believe they don't have a problem. How can we motivate them to change? How can we encourage them to come up with their own reasons to change and accept help for their drinking or drugs problem.
Here are some things to do, and some things not to do, in the process of communicating with your friend or loved one (motivational interviewing for beginners!):
Be careful not to de-motivate
DON'T get angry. It may be difficult not to, but it just creates another wall to break down.
DON'T get into the blame game. They will have another reason to blame you for their problems.
DON'T confront with advice about getting treatment or stopping now. It may be true, but it can be counter productive.
DON'T keep nagging with 100 reasons why they need to stop - health, money, relationships, losing their job, their home! And so on. You can express your concerns, but focus on the behaviour and why it worries you. Don't make them out to be BAD because they are on drugs or alcohol.
DON'T concentrate on the scare stories, "You're gonna die!" "You'll get cancer if you keep on doing this" "You'll end up in prison". All these are your concerns, but they won't carry much weight if the person in question doesn't own these conclusions. Our minds are very good at suppressing bad news.
DON'T use threats. The 'tough love' approach has its place in a culture of love because there are consequences to our actions. Boundaries are important. But it is not effective when distributed with harsh words or violence. It will just lead to more conflict and probably, to more drug use. Try and operate in an atmosphere of love and genuine concern. This will be a more effective strategy when trying to motivating people to change.
Ways to encourage motivation to change
DO ask questions that will evoke their own reasons for change, and that will help you to concentrate on their feelings, not your own feelings. So this is a case of good questions being better than good advice.
DO start by saying, "You know that I am extremely concerned about your drug taking, but I know that it's your decision on whether to change your habit or not." (this is actually true - you cannot change them, they need to decide this option for themselves) and you might continue, "I can't keep an eye on you around the clock so I have to leave it to you. It's your life. But just so that I can clarify things in my own mind, can I ask you a couple of questions?"
This approach, by acknowledging their autonomy, will, hopefully, allow your friend to lower their defence and be more open and receptive to those questions that will follow.
Do ask questions like:
"Under what circumstances would you get support to stop your drug taking?" They may respond by saying that they don't want any help. You can reply with, "Well what I mean is, if you were to get help, what would make you do it?" This is not as aggressive as saying something like, "Why haven't you got help before now for your drug problem?"
It's a hypothetical question that directs them to the question of getting help versus not getting help. This is a positive approach and may get an answer like, "If I had to go stealing again to finance the drugs I might get help" Or, "If my work started to be affected, I would take some sort of action."
Other questions might be:-
"If you continue doing what you are doing, where will you be in 6 months time?"
"Have you done something that you regretted while on drugs?" - "What was it?"
"On a scale of 1 to 10, how ready are you right now to seek treatment?"
(If they say 3, you could ask why they didn't pick a lower number, or if they picked the lowest number, 1, you could ask what would be need to make that into a 2)
Sowing seeds for future change
Reflect back the good answers and ignore the bad. There may be no obvious movement from your initial questions, but you have sown some seeds which may start to germinate at a later date.
These are basic questions that an interested friend or a Recovery Coach can ask. If the addiction is serious, there may be a need to encourage them to refer to a specialist service where physical and mental health can be properly assessed.

Top 10 Lethal and Illegal Drugs and Their Effects

Doing drugs has cost the United States more than anything else, as drug poisoning (overdose) is the number one cause of injury-related deaths in the country. Drugs that are illegal and the ones that are being legalized (like marijuana) in some parts of the country have plagued the nation for a long.
The battle to make marijuana legal has been on. However, it has got both patronage and antagonism, making it a major national issue. Use of marijuana, or a similar drug, might become legal in the U.S., but there will always be the ones that will be forbidden. Here, we discuss 10 such drugs which are illegal, and their harmful effects:

1. Psilocybin mushroom: It is commonly known as magic mushroom and can be quite dangerous. With properties that can send one into a trance, these drugs can induce deadly hallucinations in the user, but they are different from delusions.


2. Lysergic acid diethylamide or LSD: People use it illegally to derive a high, often in illegal psychotherapy and meditation. Hallucinations from LSD are so real that it can bring a complete change to a person. The effects may vary from individual to individual, but long-term use can completely change the perspective of a person and bring about a complete overhaul of the personality.


3. Phencyclidine or PCP: This drug also induces hallucinations and is a narcotic. It has got sobriquets like angel dust and wet among addicts. The psychoactive effects of this drug remain only for a few hours. But to completely flush the drug out of the body, more than a couple of weeks are required.


4. Ecstasy: One of the most popular drugs among addicts, it is a recreational drug which heightens the awareness of the user. The senses are highly activated and the user tends to experience a clarity of mind and self-awareness. People use them before indulging in sexual activity as physical touch by others become highly pleasurable. But it is bound to can boomerang as the drug has many side effects. It can lead to increased pulse rate and jaw clenching.


5. Marijuana: Also known as cannabis or pot, its legalization has become a major issue between those who endorse it or oppose it. Derived from the plant cannabis sativa, the drug has various psychological and physiological effects. When people become dependent on it and develop resistance, they start consuming poisonous quantities of marijuana which could lead to fatal consequences. People die of heart attack after injecting this drug in poisonous amounts.


6. Opium: Opium is a narcotic drug and is found in the latex of seed pods of opium. It has similar effects on the body like morphine as it contains 16 percent of morphine. If used properly, it acts as an effective painkiller. But its abuse to derive a high is quite common. Only doctors can prescribe this in the right quantity after a surgery.


7. Cocaine: Cocaine stimulates the central nervous system and causes a sense of euphoria by increasing adrenaline in the blood stream. It results in adrenaline rush, increased heart rate, pulse rate, and the body becomes hyperactive. Because of these effects, it is often used by sportspersons illegally. It can have negative impacts like hormonal imbalance, itching and paranoia.


8. Methamphetamine: It is popularly referred to as ice or meth with effects similar to cocaine. It stimulates the brain, triggering the release of hormones like serotonin, adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine. These hormones, in turn, produce euphoric effects and give a sense of feeling of well-being, which is why people abuse it rampantly. It also has harmful side effects, like obsessive compulsive disorder, loss of appetite and withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety attacks, drug cravings and depression.


9. Crack cocaine: It is commonly known as crack. It is cocaine that is actually freebased. Crack cocaine is smoked and it gives a sense of euphoria and hallucination.


10. Heroin: It is one of the most common drugs abused worldwide and is taken through an injection. Originally created to treat people's morphine addiction, it soon turned out that this drug mimics the action of morphine in the brain and itself became a substance of abuse.

How to Take Care of Your Cat Properly

Taking Care of Your Cat
Being a cat owner is a big responsibility, which should be shared by the whole family. The most important things that young individuals should learn about cat care are as follows:
Regular Visits to the Vet
A cat should visit the vet at least once yearly to undergo a physical check-up, which includes eyes, ears and heart, as well as get deworming/deflea treatments and booster vaccinations. If your cat's heath or behavior is a concern, it is crucial to see the vet immediately.
Vaccinations
Every cat should go through vaccinations for diseases such as feline leukemia virus or FeLV, cat flue and feline infectious enteritis or FIE. Such diseases can endanger a cat's life when infected, so it is crucial to go for preventive measures.
Feeding
In order to stay healthy, your cat needs a good diet. Feed it with quality dried or tinned cat food, and make sure that fresh water is always ready. Since cats are carnivorous, they cannot live on a diet with vegetables.
Neutering
Neutering allows cats to be healthier and happier. When a male cat is neutered, he is less prone to wandering far from home and getting involved in fights. A neutered female will no longer have kittens, which is an advantage since there is enough space to accommodate lots of kittens in the UK. Kittens should be neutered from 4 to 6 months, upon the advice of your vet.
Playtime with your Cat
Cats, most especially kittens, should have playtime because this is where they learn the skills they need in life, and it teaches them more about their environment.
Also, play makes good use of a cat's energy, letting it remain fit and healthy, as well as give an alert and active brain. The best games motivate them to chase, pounce, stalk and safely bat objects with their paw.
Best Tips for Playing
Toys
Even if cat toys are available from pet shops, you can save money and have more time making some by yourself.
Cats like interactive toys, so tie a string on a toy, then move it all around like it were alive.
Catnip
There are cats that go crazy over the herb catnip. Buy toys filled with dried catnip, then hand one over to your cat to see its reaction.
Climbing and Hiding
Cats are fond of climbing and hiding, so it is a great idea to get a cat activity center, or as a cheaper option, just give cardboard boxes for your cat to play with.
Indoor Cats
Cats that stay indoors need more entertainment than those outdoors. So, try to make feeding more challenging by giving cat biscuits via a puzzle feeder or plastic bottle, which is cut in biscuit-size holes with the help of an adult.
The cat will find out whenever he bats the bottle, it releases a biscuit. At the same time, he will eat his food gradually.

How To Train Your Dog To Catch A Ball: With Just 2 Simple Steps

Asking your dog to catch a ball or a Frisbee is fun and it is a good activity that dog owners can have interaction with their dogs.
Teaching your dog to catch a ball is the same as teaching her to fetch. This trick is easy and most dogs can learn it quite fast.
And like all other training, you just need to have a little patience and spend some time to teach your dog to do this.
Once you are ready to train your dog to do this, here are 2 simple steps you can follow.

1. Teach Your Dog To "Drop"
The first step is to teach your dog to drop what she has in her mouth.
Get ready for a ball or a Frisbee and some treats. Show your dog the ball and she will use her nose to come for the ball.
Now just give her the ball and she will take it with her mouth. Just like a human using hands to touch and feel, dogs will use their mouth instead.
Once your dog has the ball in her mouth, use the "Drop" command and ask her to drop the ball.
Whenever she let go and drops the ball, praise her and give her treat. Sometimes she will hold the ball and refuse to drop it. Just wait for it. Or you can use try to take it from her.
Whenever she let go of the ball and drops it, remember to reward her. Associate the "Drop" verbal command when doing this.
By the way, choose a ball that is not too big that she can grab with her mouth and not too small that she can swallow.
Repeat this training a few times until she learns what you mean by "Drop".

2. Throw The Ball And Let Her Catch It
Now, once your dog learned how to drop the ball, it is time for her to learn to catch it.
What you should do next is to get the ball on your hand and try to show it to her. Toss the ball away and say "Catch".
Just like the "Drop" command, you want her to understand the "Catch" command too.
You don't have to toss it far away that she will have to run and chase the ball. Throw the ball just a few feet away from her.
Always start small and grow from there. Usually, your dog will chase the ball or Frisbee and catch with her mouth.
After that, call her name or do whatever you usually do to ask her to come back to you. You should teach your dog to come to you when called before you teach her how to catch a ball.
When your dog comes to you, use the "Drop" command.
You have to practice a couple of times. Sometimes it may take up a few days for your dog to fully understand what you want her to do.
Have the patience and give enough time for your dog to learn. You simply need to repeat these 2 steps until she learns the command. It is best if you can put away 15 minutes to 30 minutes to train your day a few times a day.
Once she has learned how to catch a ball, you can show off to others and be proud of you dog.

Earn Money Online by Taking Surveys

Online money making is a very hot topic nowadays. The advent of the internet has taken many things by storm and also opens many ways for a human. In the beginning internet was only used to gather information and to interact with people but now the internet is highly used to make and to earn money. There are many ways to earn money online such as you can earn by writing, you can earn by affiliate programs which is the most popular ones, earn by reviewing other products or services and many more. Taking surveys online is also a great way to earn some extra money through the internet.
Well over the years the facilities and opportunities to earn some extra money through the internet is getting popular. Usually many people deny this because they had been cheated by someone or by some website. Yes, there are many scams on the internet but still there are many genuine companies which offer you some money to perform the desired task.
Well taking surveys is a very easy job among all the famous and genuine works available nowadays on the internet. Taking surveys means that you have to survey any webpage and you also have to give some positive opinions and reviews on the product or on the service. There are many companies which give you money to do this. In this process you are not launching or producing the product but just giving a positive review to their product which will become a step in the company's business. Most people before buying any product read the reviews and then make their decision. So if your review on the product is good then many people will try it and the sale of the product will increase. In this job you are just promoting and marketing the product in a very easy and relaxing way.
The payment you receive will totally be dependent on the time taken to complete the survey and on the subject and on the product you are surveying. This job of surveying websites and products offers good amount of money. There are many terms and regulations as well which are applied.
For earning money by taking online surveys you have to register yourself with a survey company. Well there are many companies which host the surveys. Usually the process is the same but for few products and services the process is slightly different from others. A good and genuine survey website will be offering more money as compared to others which are actually scams. Never go with the highest paying website but go with who are actually paying you the money.
Well making money by taking surveys is a very easy and effective way of earning some extra money. You should never think that you will earn thousands of dollars every month but you can earn a great amount of money through taking surveys. You should manage it as your part time job just to have some fun and to earn some money.

Visit:- http://www.onlinehomeprofit.in

14 Best Online Jobs from Home – No Investment to Earn Money Online

Online Jobs are are becoming very hot in India & all over the world to Earn Money Online from home without investment. This is the best time to start an online job from home & make money.
More than 65,000 people in India & worldwide are using our guidelines & earning Rs.10,000 to Rs.40,000 from onlinehomeprofit online jobs. And now is your turn to earn some extra income working in part time from home.
Do you know there are dozens of online jobs where you can work and earn good monthly income! You can earn Rs.10,000 a month, Rs.20,000 a month or even Rs.50,000 monthly depending on your work and capability.
So if you are searching for Online Jobs then there is no better place then this because of these 3 important reasons-
1. We provide not 1 or 2 but more than 10 online jobs.
2. We provide only best genuine and tested jobs to make money online.
3. And all the online jobs are free & without investment.
Top 14 Online Jobs from Home
We have provided below 14 best online jobs that you can do from your home without investment. We have also written a popular post about “10 ways to earn money online“.
Please spend time to understand each & very online jobs so that it will be easy for you to start & make money.
1. Get Paid to Read Ads
2. Online Micro Jobs
3. Online Survey Jobs
4. Online Captcha Solving Jobs
5. Blogging from Home
6. Affiliate Jobs
7. Freelancing Jobs
8. Online Writing Job
9. Data Entry Jobs
10. Sell Photos Online
11. Get Paid to Read Mail
12. Get Paid to Task
13. Seller on Fivrr
14. Earn Money from your Smartphone

Visit:-http://www.onlinehomeprofit.in/

Online Jobs Are The Best Source Of Income

Earning money is not that simple. Again, many people earn money easily. You may wonder how this is possible. Of course, it is possible. Online money is one of the greatest ways to make money in a shorter span of time. There are many benefits of earning money from the internet. Here are some ideas that will give enough information related to online money and its income.
There are many people, who have accepted the idea of earning money by staying at home. Huge class of people includes the college students, home moms and dads, teenagers as well as the senior citizens. All have a great scope to earn a huge amount of money from the internet. There is a wide scope of income and one can earn a huge amount of money in his lifetime.
Everyone needs to procure more cash. Whether you are independently employed or functioning as a representative with an organization, you can now win some extra dollars without hampering your present occupation prerequisites. Online employments are getting to be expanding among individuals and a large number of them have cherished the thought as well.
Online money is a great source of income. There is no need to go to the office and you can easily earn money by staying at home. What you need is just a computer, laptop and an internet connection. This is enough to do the job by staying at home. The home is the best place to stay and if you can find a job in your home, then it is a great job indeed.
There are numerous ways to make money from home. The internet has given many options to make money from home. There are possible ways to make good income and enjoy a decent living without leaving the boundary of your house. Going out to work has lot of hassles and it is not a simple job after all. There are many people, who work outside and they face many problems in their daily life. If there is scope to work from home, then one must follow the simple steps to do it.
eBay is a common platform that is used by millions of people and they are earning good amount of money from the internet by staying at their home. It provides an easy means to earn money from the internet. It is not at all a difficult job and there are many people involved in the process of online income. eBay provides good source of online income to many people across the globe. Earning money online has no limit and there are infinite ways to do so.
There is an easy way to earn money from the internet. There are many people, who want to play with the words. These people are good writers and there are different writing avenues that can fetch you money simply by the process of online writing. Writing blogs, product reviews, work best and they can be the good source of income. There are different types of article writing that you can follow, if you have the passion for writing. Good writers are always welcome, who can create a remarkable impression by the dint of their writing and impress the audience as well.
Online tutoring is also one such way to earn money. It is simple and easy. Whether you have the high school education or you are a learned graduate, you can utilize your knowledge to earn money by staying at your home. Knowledge is wisdom and wise men are great. If you have good knowledge of the subject, then it is the best time to earn money by teaching the students online. It is great source of both part time as well as full time income. Many people in the world are earning huge amount of money through this online process.
Teaching online is a great way to reach the huge amount of students by using the web. The source of income is high and there is large scope to get hourly payment. Depending on your experience and subject knowledge, you can get more payment on hourly basis. There are different websites that welcome educated tutors from all over the world and provides the scope to train and educate the students. Having strong subject knowledge can reward you with a challenging career and you can enjoy the process of imparting education and earning money at the same time.
The idea is not new and would take some time before masses could profit by it however, the rate with which this is picking up its pace is exponential. The fortunate thing about online employments helps you to discover numerous sorts of occupations and pick one for yourself that suits you. Regardless of the fact that you are not a PC proficient, you can even now land a position for yourself. This is a direct result of the way that you can discover both specialized and non-specialized employments on these sites. The main thing that you have to know is the nuts and bolts of utilizing PC and surfing the web.
Online income is on the peak level these days. There are many people, who are still unaware of the advantages of online income. In the coming days in future, they will definitely know the easy ways to make money from home. Finally, there will be a day that will cherish and appreciate those earners of the world, who have invested their time for online income.

The author of this article, named Jeo Nash, has made a detailed analysis of the easy ways to make money from home. His advice is enough to make money in the shortest possible ways.

Visit:-  ONLINE HOME INCOME
 

Part Time Jobs in INDIA Without Investment

ONLINE HOME INCOME


 Are you looking for some part time jobs in India without investment? Do you need easy jobs like data entry jobs, typing work or anything home based? Are you student, housewife or an employed?
Then don’t worry, our website will provide you dozens of money making opportunities without paying a single paisa. Thousands of people from India who visit our website find one or other make money opportunity which can give them some extra income in part time.
So how to get part time jobs in India?
If you are are really looking for part time jobs, then you must keep 3 things in your mind.
1.You are ready to put efforts and honestly spend at least 2 hrs daily
2. You are ready to learn new things in any condition.
3. Don’t pay for any membership or CD types of kits & packages
I am not against the people who put their hard work & experience to create some great tutorial to sell to the beginners like you. But after I thorough research, I came to know that more than 95% of websites operate from India sell fake tutorials.
Then what is the solution to this?
Solution is our website. We at Online Home Profit, provide number of best online jobs that you can do in part time / full time without paying anything.
And yes, if we are giving these free & without any investment, it does not mean they are useless or poor quality. We have done a lot of hard work & research to develop these online jobs courses that will give you guaranteed income if you follow our guidelines. In fact we are making money our self from many of these sources from the last 2 years.
So how to get these part time online jobs?
Its very easy. It will not take more than 5 minutes to get all our online jobs premium pack. Just follow these 3 simple steps to download our part time jobs package.
1. Visit our signup page here & signup for different make money programs.
2. Then check your email for confirmation.
3. Follow the email to get our training & start earning.
Is there any further investment in these part time jobs?
We have included more than 10 part time jobs that you can do online & there is no further investment in these online jobs.

These10 programs are :–

1. Get paid to clicks ads (PTC)
2. get paid to complete task (GPT)
3. Get Paid to Read Email. (PTR)
4. Get paid to complete small online surveys
5. Get Paid to Fan
6. Get Paid to URL Shortener
7. Get Paid to Captcha Solving Jobs
8. Get Paid to Micro Jobs
9. Get paid to Freelancer
10. Get paid to Affiliate Program

All these options are the best one to make money in your part time from home. There is really no need to invest anything. But after reading these tutorials, you think, you want to buy some software or something then you are free for this.
All you have to do is work hard to earn from these money making programs. You need to understand the nature of work by reading our guidelines & once you know each & everything, then you can smoothly work on these opportunities.
Which program is best as part time job in India?
It depends on what type of person you are. We have written one of the beautiful article with the title ‘how to earn money’ which will give the answer to your question.
Just click that link & check which part time option is best suitable to you. After downloading our money making course, you will find all the 10 online jobs as mentioned above & you can work on 1, 2 or all of these programs as per your convenience.
So if you are looking for trusted part time income opportunity in India without investment then there is no better option then signup free here.

Visit :- http://www.onlinehomeprofit.in

How to Automate Your Online Business And Earn Passive Income

Automating an Online Business is one of the greatest things you can do. It gives you the ability to have your business working 24/7 while you are not even there! This way you are earning passive income and making sales while you sleep, as they say. I will be sharing with you the 4 main ways to automate your online business.

WEBSITE

A website is the home to your business. It is where people can learn about your business and what kinds of products and services you offer. People find your website through various ways on the internet, such as through search engines and social media.
It is very important to build a solid website that clearly outlines what your business is about, what products and services you offer, how they benefit, your businesses goals and values, how people can get in touch with you and more...
Setting up your products and services to be purchased on your website is the primary way that you can automate your business to earn passive income, while you don't have to physically be there to make a sale.

LANDING PAGE

Otherwise known as a lead capture page, opt in page or a squeeze page. A landing page is a page that is offering some kind of value to a customer, and in return asks for their email address.
Having a landing page is a very clever tactic because even though the customer does not purchase anything when they opt-in with their email, they are considered as your 'subscriber for life' (until they choose to unsubscribe of course). This way you are able to continue to communicate with them through email.
You should understand that people usually don't choose to purchase straight away, as they may be busy during the time or they may need to think about it. Therefore by gaining their email you are able to continue to communicate, build trust, offer more value and eventually offer a product or service to them at a later date.
Having a landing page allows you to build your subscriber list automatically, provided people can find your landing page and are interested in what you have to offer.

AUTO RESPONDER

But wait, it gets better. It is certainly a great thing to be able to get email subscribers automatically, but you may be thinking that each time a person opts-in to your landing page, you will have to send an email individually for each person. This however, can't be further from the truth.
You see, you can use an auto responder or an email service such as AWeber that allows you to setup up emails that are sent automatically to a subscriber that opt-ins on your landing page. Once again, you don't need to be there to communicate when a subscriber opts-in.

MARKETING

Last but not least, you should be marketing your business and services online to gain awareness so that people can actually find you. There are so many ways of marketing on the internet, while some ways take longer to see results, others are quicker such as paid ads.
For example, social media marketing is a free way of building your presence as a business using social media platforms such as Facebook. The price of it being free is that it will require more of your time and take longer to see results.

And for instance, Google AdWords is a paid advertising method that promotes your business and products through the Google search engine. This method is likely to yield fast results and it doesn't take much of your time, for instance it may take 5 minutes to create an advertisement to run throughout the whole week.
All ways of Marketing are great for automation so that customers can find your landing page and services to make sales, while you can focus your time and energy elsewhere in your business or your life.

THE FATTY LIVER SOLUTION

Did you ever wonder if there was a natural solution to fatty liver or NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease)? Do you want to naturally reverse your fatty liver and make your liver 100% healthy again?
Are you interested in a holistic approach that will also help solve related health issues like obesity and cardiovascular issues?
If you answered "yes" to any of the questions above, then this may very well be the most exciting message you've read all day. Here's why...
You're about to discover a proven system for healing fatty liver naturally and permanently. This system works whether you've suffered from fatty liver for years or you have just been diagnosed.

 There are essentially 3 main things you need to know about reversing fatty liver disease:

1. How to improve your liver's health through diet and exercise
2. How to choose fat burning foods over calorie-laden ones
3. How to make positive, long-term changes to your general lifestyle

The Fatty Liver Solution: A Holistic Approach to a Healthier Liver covers all of this, and a lot more. And when you read it, you'll be BLOWN AWAY with how simple it really is to make your liver healthy again.
 
Click Here more Details

12 Ways Your Pet Can Improve Your Mental Health!

When I am feeling down and weary, and I can barely lift myself off the couch, my dog comes to my rescue. She cuddles with me, then motivates me to get up, dressed, and out the door for a walk or some play time. Somehow my fur-baby even gets me to smile, no matter how miserable or stressed I feel.

I am not alone. It turns out that all pets, not just therapy pets, can help your mind, body, and spirit.

Here are a dozen reasons why:

1. They get you outside: Sun and fresh air elevate your mood and the sun gives you an extra dose of vitamin D. Vitamin D exposure helps fight physical and mental conditions, including depression, cancer, obesity, and heart attacks. Also, when you go outside with your pet, you are engaging with nature. Try taking a moment to listen to the trees rustling, feel the wind rushing past, and the sun upon your face. The sounds and feeling of nature can be incredibly calming.

2. They get you moving: Walking your dog and engaging in outdoors activities like tossing a Frisbee gives you a natural energy boost, and allows you to let off steam. It also makes you more physically fit, strengthening your muscles and bones, which helps not only your body, but also your self-esteem. Studies have shown that animal owners, both adults and children, have lower blood pressure, as well as lower cholesterol and triglycerides, which may be in part attributed to the more active lifestyle pets promote. Pet owners also have been noted to have better circulation, and a lower risk of experiencing major cardiac issues. And when your body feels stronger, you are less susceptible to mental health issues.

3. They lessen allergies and asthma, and build immunity: This one may sound counter intuitive, but children who grow up in homes with furry friends are actually less likely to develop common allergies. Studies have shown that children who were exposed to two or more dogs or cats as babies were less than half a likely to develop allergies, including dust, grass, ragweed and pet allergies, and were at a lower risk for asthma. Allergies can cause people to become lethargic, apathetic, and suffer from insomnia, which can make them more vulnerable to mental health issues, such as depression.

4. Petting reduces stress: Rhythmic petting or grooming can be comforting to your dog or cat, and you. Concentrate on the texture of his soft fur, the warmth he radiates, and his deep breaths. When you connect with your pet, oxytocin, the hormone related to stress and anxiety relief, is released, helping to reduce blood pressure and lower cortisol levels.

5. They both distract you and keep you present: Being present and engaged with your pet takes your thoughts off of the issues that are plaguing you. When you are fully in the moment, you are not worrying about the past or the future. It's just you and your pet. Another way to keep distracted and present with your furry friend is to take photos or videos of his or her cute antics. 

6. They lessen loneliness: If you don't like to be alone, pets can be great domestic companions. Often a pet is very intuitive and will seek you out when you're feeling down, refusing to allow you to remain alone. Just make sure you can fully care for and love a pet before you take her home. Pets should not be used to fill a temporary void and then pushed aside. A dog or cat is a long-term commitment, and it's not always easy, but if you are up to it, they can provide much love through the good times and the bad.

7. They're great listeners: You can talk to your pet about anything -- your day, your hopes, your dreams. You can practice a speech with them, lament about a breakup, or utter truths that you may be afraid to actually share with someone else. A dog or cat can be the perfect "person" to go to when you want to vent without any potential repercussions.

9. They can lessen your isolation: Dog parks allow for more opportunities for socialization for both your dog and you. Your dog makes friends pretty easily and will break the ice so you can connect with new people, and perhaps set up future dog dates, hikes, or playtime at local parks. Your little cutie can be an instant conversation starter, and also a good way to get to know some of the people in your neighborhood. 

10. They can give you a purpose: Having a pet to care for can give you a feeling of purpose, which can be crucial when you are feeling really down and overwhelmed by negative thoughts. By caring for your pet, or another person or animal in need, you are focusing on something other than yourself and your life. Your good deeds, and your pet's positive response, will give you a feeling of instant gratification.

11. They make you smile: When your dog does cute things like rolling on his back or putting a paw up on your arm, he can make you smile, which in turn triggers neurotransmitters to fire. These pet-time smiles can raise your serotonin and dopamine levels, which are nerve transmitters associated with calmness and happiness.

12. Playing is fun: With the grind of daily life, sometimes we forget to just let loose and have fun. Go ahead; wrestle, play catch, dance together, or just run around and act silly. Your dog will love you for it. 

So go have some fun with your pooch or feline friend! Have a ball, with a ball, or anything else, and you will both benefit from the pleasurable together time.
And if you don't have a pet or can't get one right now, you can volunteer at a shelter. There are many animals that can still benefit from your love, and you will feel the benefits, too.

Feel free to add more ways your pets help you in the comments below...