The working from home pet conundrum
Does the "get a dog" philosophy reduce work from home isolation?
If you work from home or are the only one in your household who works from home, isolation can be a factor. So, it stands to reason that having a pet, while not a substitute for human contact, helps. A lot. And while there’s a lot of upside, you do have to be aware of the downside.
Who hasn’t been on a Zoom call where a pet (usually a dog) has decided to join the conversation? While dog lovers might think it cute—this dog lover does not—others might not. So, you do have to be aware of where your pet is during those calls and adjust.
For example, if your pet scratches or barks when you close your office door, leave it open and put a pet bed either in or near your office. This way, your pet gets used to being around you while you’re working.
Avoid giving your pets treats in your office unless you’re in that ever so crucial training period. Elephants may have great memories, but some pets, dogs in particular, have tremendous powers of recall when it comes to food. If they saw you stash some treats in your desk drawer, they remember.
Pets, much like humans, are very much creatures of habit. So, get in a routine of walking them and feeding them at certain times of the day. This offers a double benefit of structuring both of your days. Walking your pet at 11:45 every day right before lunch creates a schedule for them and ensures you get out of the office and away from your desk. If you can, leave your phone there too so it truly is away time.
There have been numerous studies on the impact of pets on mental health. The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) Survey recently released a survey showing the benefits of pets to human health. The last survey HABRI conducted took place in 2016. Here are some nuggets from that survey and the changes in results from 2016:
76% of pet owners report that their personal health has improved as a result of owning a pet, up from 71% in 2016 (+5%)
87% of pet owners say that they have experienced mental health improvements from pet ownership, up from 74% in 2016 (+13%)
83% of pet owners say they spend most of or a big part or most of the day with their pets, up from 78% in 2016 (+5%)
To read the rest of the article, click here.
If you work from home and considering getting a pet, think about it long and hard. Remember, there will be an adjustment period and that may prove to be a distraction in getting your work done. If you’re willing to take that on, do some research. Call your local animal shelter. Think about adopting or rescuing a pet rather than going to pet store to get a pup or kitten.
Most importantly, talk to other work from home folks and ask them how it’s gone having a pet while trying to get work done. If you’re one of those folks, leave your story below and we can share in an upcoming My HOH.
Who needs Photoshop?
Okay, many people do, particularly photographers and graphic designers. Yet if you have the occasional photo where you would like to remove some background or people, you have a much cheaper alternative. One is cleanup.pictures.
You can upload a photo and remove/erase what you don’t want in the photo and then download the finished product. For free.
If you have larger photo, above 720 dpi, then you will have to pay. Cleanup.pictures costs $5 per month or $48 per year. If you’re doing that type of photo editing on a regular basis—weekly or even monthly—that’s not a bad deal.
What newsletters do I read?
Quite a few. Many I’ve discovered through The Sample. This publication offers snippets from a variety of newsletters. So, you can literally sample and choose what you like. Check it out.
Inspiring quote of the week
“Learning never exhausts the mind.” –Leonardo daVinci