Students blog

In this quick paced world, the workplace focuses mainly on results and productivity. Many times, mental health takes a back burner in employers’ minds which can lead to burn out and stress for employees. Temporary solutions such as caffeine breaks and mindful apps do not solve deeper problems. A more effective and long-lasting approach is animal assisted therapy, which uses interactions with animals such as dogs to improve emotional well-being in the workplace.

Studies have shown that simply being around animals increases the release of neurotransmitters associated with reducing stress and improving mood. Introducing trained animals to the workplace helps employees' mental health and fosters a better working environment.

Simply by petting a calm animal or just being around it can reduce blood pressure and stress hormones. If employees let workers relax on heavy days, it can improve their mental focus and emotional balance leading to increase productivity throughout the day.

Animals can also help build a sense of community. Sometimes the workplace can be lonely, especially in a competitive environment. Animals can serve as a connector in the workplace. The sense of connection can improve teamwork and make the atmosphere more like a family.

Animals can also encourage healthier habits. Workers who take time to exercise and get a short walk with the dog can also improve their mood. This allows them to get a much-needed physical activity and a mental break that can inspire connectivity, better focus, and improved problem-solving capability.

However, bringing animals into the workplace requires careful planning. Not everyone is comfortable around animals due to allergies, fears, or personal preferences. Companies need to create clear policies, designate specific animal-friendly areas, and work with trained therapy animals to ensure everyone feels safe and included.

The most common type of therapy animals are dogs. Affection from dogs is a proven way to reduce stress, and when added to the workplace, can drastically improve workers' mental health and overall performance.

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I think golf as a sport can be described in many words, but for the people who have played it one word comes to mind, “frustrating.” Seldomly is a golf shot perfect. You may only come out of a four-hour round of golf with one shot you deem perfect. And that’s what’s so frustrating about it.

Golf is a game of ups and downs, and consistency is a major part of scoring well. For anyone unfamiliar with golf, the point of the game is to try to get a tiny white ball in a hole hundreds of yards away. Players have to achieve this goal in the designated amount of hits. In golf terms, this is known as “par” which is equivalent to three, four, or five hits per hole depending on the distance. You have to stay perfectly consistent if you want to put up a good score. Even the best players in the world can't achieve this level of perfection. What makes great players is their ability to mitigate mistakes. They mess up just like average golfers but it's how they respond to bad shots that makes them truly amazing.

The hard part about golf is the repetition of disappointment as you aim to get as close to the perfect score as possible but never succeed. That's why I believe people keep coming back to this game to always try to improve. This is the same way I see life. We as humans will never be perfect and self-improvement is hard work, but there is joy in making yourself better every day.

Golf at its purest is not only a physical game but also a mental game. In golf, one bad shot can easily lead you to a downward spiral and throw you off your game. You have to focus on one shot at a time. As a college student I struggle with falling short in many aspects of my life. Many assignments or tests I come away from saying to myself “I could do better.” College is difficult and if you internalize your failures, you will never be able to make it. You have to learn from your mistakes and improve in order to successfully get through college.

Like golf, life will have a lot of disappointing moments but it's how you respond to those bad shots that reveal who you are. I could wallow in my failures, or I could pick myself and try harder for the next test or assignment. Do you give up or keep taking swings? And that’s why I think golf is such a good metaphor for life.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started!