There are things you can do now to increase your pet’s sense of security for whether you and/or family members are with them or they are needing to be at home alone.
TOOLS & TIPS RECAP MENTIONED IN VIDEO
Grounding: Take 10 minutes to ground yourself and your pet a minimum of once per day. It will help keep your energy and their energy pulled in rather than scattered and erratic. You can learn more about grounding here.
Be aware of your current emotional state: Our pets pick up and reflect what’s going on with us. That means if we’re upset or worried about what’s showing up in our daily lives, or what might show up tomorrow our pets may show signs of upset or stress. In this video, I share how to do the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise used by many mental health practitioners with your pet (or if needed, just you!)
Promote self-rewarding activities: Have various toys where your pet needs to work for a reward that the toy provides. A popular one is the Kong toy and there are treat dispensers and all sorts of things available to buy to engage them in activities that keep them actively and mentally engaged.
Praise your animal: Tell your fur babies that you are proud of them and how well they do entertaining themselves. Feel how good it feels to praise them in this way…they will get it!
And, if there are signs of anxiety and stress when they know you will be leaving, you can:
Use flower essences like Rescue Remedy (maybe use it yourself too)
Leave an article of clothing with your scent (or their favorite family member’s scent) on it
There are also products available that diffuse oils that are safe for pets to help them relax