The Therapeutic Benefits of Having a Pet Fish
When life gets you down, you know what you gotta do? Just keep swimming – Dory (Finding Nemo)
Fish can be very therapeutic to have and relaxing to look at. There are many benefits to having a fish in the house, such as reducing your stress, helping keep you calm and improving your overall mood.
Here are some benefits of having a fish:
Stress relief – For instance, it has been shown that being around fish can reduce stress levels which can be a great wellness tool by providing a distraction from everyday life stressors.
Alleviates anxiety and has calming affects – Similar to reducing stress, observing an aquarium/fish tank helps reduces anxiety by a great amount as well as help to calm your nerves some.
Blood pressure health – experts found out that watching fish in a large aquarium helped lowered their blood pressure.
Improves your mood and mental stability – studies have shown that viewing fish has increased levels of happiness. They even said that the longer the person watched a fish, the more their positive mood increased. Viewing fish helped put observers into a calm and content state.
Helps in getting things done – There are companies that specialize in the overview of aquariums at work. These companies have reported that fish tanks provide many aids to employees, including the potential for increased productivity.
Supports kids with autism disorder – Some fish tanks were designed specifically to be appealing and safe for children with autism. Observing fish can help children with autism calm down and decrease anxiety, and possibly even improve their speech.
Sleep sleep sleep – the relaxing act of observing an aquarium might help you relax and sleep better.
I personally love having a pet fish-I always feel relaxed by it. I’ll go in my quiet room, and watch my fish in it’s tank. Watching the fish helps me re-center my focus. I am often mesmerized when I follow it back and forth with my eyes and while admiring its many colors. So, reap the benefits of having a pet fish, and go pick out your Nemo or Dory and just keep swimming!
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Staff Blogger: Golda Duncan
Golda Duncan is a Peer Services Educator. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a passion for the mental health community and wants to make a change.