We all know that finals week can be very stressful, but it doesn’t have to have a negative affect on our mental health.

High schools and colleges all around the United States are starting to use therapy dogs as a way to help students deal with stress and anxiety in a positive way.
For years, senior living facilities and hospitals have been using dogs as a therapeutic method to help keep a positive environment.

Often times, dogs bring smiles to the people around them, and I think it is time we reap the benefits of our furry friends in times of high stress when we could use them the most.

According to Animalsmarts, playing with or petting a dog increases levels of the hormone oxytocin which helps reduce stress as well as decrease levels of cortisol which produces stress in the human body.
With high school becoming increasingly demanding, students anxiety levels and depression are at an all time high.

According to studies done by Preventing Chronic Disease, having a pet dog at home plays a major role in decreasing the likelihood of developing childhood anxiety.

Having designated rooms people could visit between finals to play with dogs could drastically lift the spirits of our students throughout the day.

We could have as little as one room in north and one room in south to let people hang out and play with the dogs.

Marian Catholic brings therapy dogs to school during their finals week and their student body loves it.
The administration at Marian brings in therapy dogs to help brighten the mood of the students.
Junior at Marian Catholic, Justin Johnson said, “They have helped me tremendously throughout that tough week, I think the biggest part about the whole thing is that they really help me lower my stress levels during the week.”

Johnson also said, “I also think that bringing the dogs in during finals week brings more kids to school during their off periods and they end up doing something productive. I know I come in during my off periods so I can play with the dogs before one of my exams.”

The dogs create a much happier and welcoming environment in the building which helps give the students the motivation to get more work done in preparation for their big tests.

I think they could be a major benefit to our schools productivity levels during our testing weeks.

I know personally I would love to have a dog to play with during our long passing periods in between our tests each day. This would help make my day a lot better and I think it could help make yours better too.
Let’s talk to our principal so we can be petting puppies by December!