How My Dogs Help When Anxiety Keeps Me Home
There are days when the idea of leaving the house feels like attempting to scale Everest… barefoot… while balancing a stack of teacups. Anxiety has a way of making the world feel impossibly big and incredibly scary.
And then comes the dogs. Four pairs of paws, four wagging tails, and four very insistent sets of eyes staring at me like, “Don’t worry mom, we got this!”
Yes. I have four dogs. And they are the most chaotic, comforting, hilarious, judgment-free therapy team I could ever ask for.
They keep me present… whether I like it or not. One wants to play tug-of-war. Another demands kisses. A third is flopping dramatically across my lap for cuddles. The fourth is running in circles like it’s the Indy 500. Suddenly, my spiraling thoughts vanish because there is no way I can overthink with four furry distractions demanding my attention.
They teach me joy in the tiniest moments. A sunbeam on the carpet? Nap party. A fly on the wall? Time to hunt. The squeaky toy that’s half destroyed? Peak comedy. A tumble of dogs chasing each other? Pure joy.
They help me breathe. If I start to panic, at least one of them will curl up against me, soft snorts in my ear, while the others hover like little furry bodyguards. Matching my breathing to theirs is like hitting the reset button on my anxiety.
They make me laugh when I feel like crying. Zoomies in the hallway. . Barking at absolutely nothing. It’s impossible to stay anxious when my living room has turned into a furry circus.
Having four dogs isn’t just double, triple, or quadruple the love—it’s a full-on heart explosion of comfort, chaos, and companionship. They don’t judge me for staying home. They turn our little space into a sanctuary filled with warmth, laughter, and paw prints everywhere.
They are there for me and they just say: “You’re safe. You’re loved. We’ve got this… and also, snacks, please?”