According to a study conducted by the University of Leeds and Tourism Western Australia, spending your time looking at cute animals has health benefits!
“The study results are a fantastic reminder that we benefit massively from exploring and enjoying the natural world,” said Elen Thomas, the U.K. Market Manager for Tourism Western Australia, regarding the study’s results. “The huge improvement seen in the mood and health of the participants is remarkable and a clear sign that wildlife experiences are important for our wellbeing.”
For me, watching cute dog videos for a few minutes is a great de-stressor when I’m stretching my limbs in between writing sprints. They’re undemanding fluff. That’s a habit I picked up during covid lockdowns, and one I’ve continued into my home and work life. I try to stay away from political news, which always gives me the spirals, and from news in general, that sends me doomscrolling. (Yes, yes, I’m an escapist these days.)
I know there can be too much of a good thing however, so my cute dog video binges are limited to a few minutes while I move from one task to another–a strictly break-time activity, or something to calm me down after a bout of anxiety. A change of scene after the 90 seconds of toxic emotion have passed.
What about you? Do you ever watch cute dog videos (or any cute animal videos) to de-stress? Why are cute animals so relaxing?
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Any kind of animal videos are entertaining for me
Hey Damyanti,
I was just surfing through your blog, when I came across this post and wondered how I hadn’t read it! It’s an year old, but it was lovely to read.
Yes, I do watch cute dog videos, or animal videos, and also baby and pet videos. And I often get sucked into the never ending stream of videos that leave me gushing and feeling mushy. Animals are the cutest and best way to destress, as I have experienced with my Chikoo and the three winged babies. Just the thought of those videos makes me smile!
Sometimes. More likely to watch cute cat videos
Yes – they make me smile. Which I need after losing my wonderful dog after 14 years – a good run for a golden though.
Watching cute cat videos/photos is how I ended up with Hoshi. I watch a lot of cat and dog videos on IG, Damyanti, and it’s always a stress reducer and something that makes my heart happy. I need things at this point in time to make my heart happy.
I might be the odd one out, but I’ve never watched dog or cat videos. I love petting them in real life, but I can easily ignore the videos. That said, I can appreciate how watching a dog video can be a comforting break on a stressful, busy day.
It really is. They never fail to make me smile, and it’s a welcome relief from being stuck in work mode for hours on end.
Yes yes yes! I’ve taken to posting dog memes and pictures to build up my SM activity (I need 500 verified followers to monetize my X). So far so good!
That’s genius!
My husband was Obsessed with cute dog videos, Damyanti. Finally, I gave in and we adopted a cute dog. Now he has his own, and our cute-dog-video watching is way down. Instead, the hubby is standing outside in the freezing yard while the cute dog chases chipmunks and I blog. Hehehe. A fun post.
Sounds like the dream! Don’t tempt me, I’m stockpiling reasons why I should get a dog and it’s getting steadily harder to resist the urge. 😂😂
We have tiny regrets associated with our loss of spontaneity and our ability to travel freely, but we’re also having fun and laughing a lot.
I’m trying to reduce the 10,000 items in Photos on my computer. It’s mostly soothing, especially as I have to watch the whole of each video clip to see whether they are worth the 300+Mb they take up (that’s only 3 videos to a Gb!). Watching the guinea pigs is very soothing. But, I have to delete some of the ones that are ‘just’ guinea pigs eating grass in the garden, or eating hay on the floor of the kitchen.
Just some.
There’s plenty left for next time 🙂
Decluttering definitely isn’t my favorite activity but add cute guinea pig videos into the mix and I’m sold! There’s no better motivator 😂
I haven’t been a pet-person so while I do occasionally watch and enjoy dog/cat videos my addiction is baby/toddler videos. They are just so adorably hug-worthy and squishy. I think it’s fine to take a break and de-stress.
I love the videos of babies interacting with family pets! They can be so wholesome and warm, and it’s beautiful to think of the bond that they’ll have as they grow up together.
Hi Damyanti – not for me … but obviously many people do. I hope you enjoy your media break – life is life isn’t it … we all need to escape at the moment – take care … cheers Hilary
Thank you, Hilary!
To be honest, that’s my feed too, I don’t know how I got there! All platforms, especially on shorts.
Same here, and I wouldn’t change a thing!
Yes, I freely admit to watching cat videos. Didn’t realize this to be a hot topic🙀
Neither did I, until I stumbled across the study. It was a fascinating read, and it was good to hear that the time I spend watching cute cat and dog videos isn’t wasted. The validation I needed! 🤣
I usually don’t watch animal videos but my wife does. And then shows me some of them. So, I guess I do watch a few.
That sounds familiar! My husband has fallen prey to my pet-centered algorithm too, with some videos being too funny for me to resist sharing. But in my defense, he never puts up that much of a fight, beyond the occasional beleaguered sigh. 🤣
To me, they’re nothing more than a cynical ploy to make money. People such as ourselves work so hard to provide quality content, whether we’re sharing our writing, making reasoned, informed comment on issues of the day, or providing professional advice. But we struggle to get noticed. Others take the easy way and post ‘cute’ pet videos, and the hits come rolling in. They monetise their blogs, so that every click brings them more income from advertising. And the blogosphere gets cluttered with facile nonsense. Look away from your screens Damyanti; look away! Look out of the window, at the wild birds, if you want to see animals. Go for a walk in the park and admire all the dogs being walked. Better still, get yourself a cute dog that will give you unconditional love 24 hours a day. Look away from the screen! ;¬]
I can’t say I disagree with you. I do look away from the screens most of the day, and I hear you on what you’re saying about content value. Dog videos provide the serotonin without any of the responsibilities, so I seek them out for comfort–but it can get addictive. Whenever something becomes an obsession, I peel away–and dog videos will possibly follow the same fate. 🙂
Hope your media break is helping, Damyanti! I love anything animal-related, especially dogs, as long as no harm comes to the animal (for example, in movies or books). A live dog as a family member is even better! 🙂 Since I have that, I don’t really need the videos.
Thank you, Debbie! It’s doing me a world of good. I’m with you — anything animal-related somehow has the ability to grab my attention and refuse to let go. I suppose if I had a dog of my own, I wouldn’t need the videos either. Hopefully one day!
You’d still watch dog videos if you had a dog, mainly to show how much better/lovelier/cuddlier/nobler your own dog was. lol
I have not switched off social media but dog movies are among my favorite things to watch.
I’m with you on that!
Dogs and cats can be like young kids. That is, irresistible!
Neil S.
Yes, if I had pets, I could definitely imagine treating them like my own children!
Put up a nice child and cat video on my FB page recently. People seem to like cute animal videos as it makes them feel good in our dysfunctional world.
Yes, we discussed it on FB. I find cute, soothing AI videos terrifying, especially when they pop up on my youtube feed. Very soon, unplugging might become the only sane option in a dysfunctional world.
It is very hard to know what the truth is as presented on the internet and news agencies these days Damyanti so we just have to maintain our integrity as best we can and make sure we tell the truth.
Hi, Damyanti! I watch silly cat videos but only in the evenings. They make me laugh. I’m also amazed at cat behavior, especially when they exhibit intelligence. YouTube is definitely my guilty pleasure and I can easily go down its rabbit hole. I love watching interviews of all sorts of people, famous and not famous, and the chat show Graham Norton that makes me laugh until I’m crying sometimes. Before I retired, I especially needed YouTube in the evenings to de-stress from an extremely stressful job. Stay well, and take care of yourself! Cinda
Laughter therapy is one of my favorite kinds! The stress relief is a welcome benefit, and the subsequent positive emotions carry on into the rest of the day and my writing sessions. It’s amazing how much a simple video can lighten the mood and act as a boost of energy when my motivation is starting to wilt. And I completely agree — cats are so interesting to observe! The videos of cats and dogs almost speaking to their owners or making noises which resemble human words are just incredible.
I can’t stand dogs. Don’t mind cats!
If I had to choose between having a cat or a dog as a pet, I’d probably choose the cat — but only because my apartment might not be able to handle a dog right now!
I don’t seek out dog videos, but if someone shares one, I’ll watch it as a guilty pleasure.
Or maybe not so guilty anymore, now that we know about their health benefits!
I don’t go looking for animal videos but enjoy them whenever I happen to chance upon one. I hope the break does you well. Take care!
Thank you, Sonia! They certainly help keep my mind and mood on track, and provide a much-welcomed respite from actively using my brain.
My wish for you, Damyanti, is the best of mental, physical, and spiritual health. Dog and cat videos rock, offering a soothing balm for the thousand pinpricks of life. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for the well wishes! I can wholeheartedly attest to the healing powers of cute animals!