Can Dogs Improve Productivity?
Did you know that stroking a dog for 10 minutes significantly lowers the stress hormone cortisol, while significantly raising happy hormones? You might have guessed from our unofficial mascot that here at YOPLA we’re pretty fond of our four-legged friends! The 26th August is International Dog Day, so we thought it would be a great opportunity to look at how our canine friends don't only improve the mental health of their human companions, but boost productivity at work too!
Dogs in the Office
This isn't something that will work for all businesses, but if you have an office that can accommodate dogs then it’s worth considering letting your team bring their pooches to work with them!
A lot of people found the COVID pandemic an opportunity to reassess their life and priorities, with many of them realising that their mental wellbeing hadn’t been high enough up their agenda. This realisation seeped into the workplace with businesses starting to question what they could do to create a healthier environment … enter the phenomena of bring your dog to work!
Several studies have shown the positive impact dogs can have on our lives from providing social support and encouraging social interactions,right through to increasing cognitive abilities and reducing stress and anxiety… and the best bit for businesses? These benefits are not only felt by the proud dog-parents, but also by non-dog owners who share the office environment with them.
Struggling to believe it can make such a difference? In one study looking at the impact of dogs on stress, job satisfaction, organisational commitment and social support the research team split the participants into three groups. The first group brought their dogs to work, the second left their pups at home and the third didn’t own dogs. When the results came in they showed significant reductions in stress for group one compared to the second and third groups, additionally the participants reported more positive interactions and conversations and a more relaxed working environment. Having their dog with them also ensured that people were taking regular breaks in the fresh air, often with their non dog owning colleagues also taking the opportunity to join them. The research team noted that overall group one were more committed and productive than group two and three. Maybe now would be a good time to run a similar trial in your own business and see what impact it has on your team!?
Dogs and Working from Home
Over the last couple of years ‘work from home’ has become the norm with many companies providing far greater flexibility than before COVID-19. However, while there are benefits there can be downsides too with many employees reporting feelings of loneliness and burnout. Being in an office environment can help people feel part of a community encouraging social interactions and routines. Those who work at home often forget to take breaks and end up feeling overwhelmed noting higher levels of stress and anxiety so it’s incredibly important to find ways to combat the toll it can take on mental wellbeing. So how can dogs help?
It might sound obvious but having a pet pooch as a companion can massively reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation. They offer us unconditional love and affection boosting levels of serotonin and Oxytocin resulting in huge reductions in stress encouraging more positive working habits. It also gives people something to talk about (remember the pets on calls videos during lockdown!?) making staff feel more connected and bonded as a team.
Routines are key to productivity and without one it can be all too easy to still be in our pyjamas at lunchtime. Knowing that our four-legged friends rely on us to care for them requires us to maintain routines,regardless of other factors, to enable them to stay happy and healthy. This ensures that people are taking plenty of breaks and focusing on other things than work,which in turn means that when attention turns back to work related tasks it is with a clearer, more productive mindset.
We all know the benefits of exercise to mental and physical wellbeing, and walking a dog is a great excuse to get outside and take in some fresh air and different scenery. Additionally the opportunity to chat to other dog walkers provides social interaction which can often be severely lacking when working from home. Reducing stress in this way is proven to improve everything from overall mood to quality of sleep … all things that can massively impact productivity.
In a world that’s still finding it’s way with the new way of working and other various challenges there’s always opportunity for positive change and recognising the things that we have previously taken for granted. Understanding the real benefits our canine companions provide allows us to be even more grateful for the company and support they give us, so take the opportunity today on International Dog Day to give your furry best friend an extra treat and cuddle … they deserve it!
At YOPLA we specialise in transforming the way businesses operates. Get in touch today with our team to talk about what we could do for you.
