The Pet Boost

How to complete The Pet Boost

Focused time with an animal lowers stress hormones and raises oxytocin, but only when you're truly present, since half-watching a pet while scrolling does nothing. Twenty undistracted minutes of play or grooming benefits the animal as much as you.

1. Put your phone fully away; the entire point is undivided attention.
2. Pick something the animal genuinely enjoys: fetch, a wand toy, brushing, or a training game.
3. Get on their level physically: sit or lie on the floor with dogs and cats.
4. Read their body language and follow their energy: chase when they're playful, slow to gentle strokes when they settle.
5. Keep going the full 20 minutes; don't cut it short the moment you feel restless.

Tips

• No pet of your own? Borrow a friend's, walk dogs at a shelter, or visit a cat cafe.
• Grooming counts and often calms anxious animals: brushing, nail care, a slow ear rub.
• End on a calm note so the animal isn't left over-stimulated.

What counts as done

You've spent a continuous 20 minutes engaged with the animal and nothing else: no phone, no TV in the background.