Feeling anxious about finals week?  Research shows that spending time with a dog can decrease your anxiety.  A study at UCLA found that anxiety scores dropped by 24% in heart failure patients who were visited weekly by a human volunteer and dog team versus a 10% drop in those who were visited by only a human volunteer. More specifically, the level of epinephrine, a stress hormone, dropped by 17% in patients who were visited by the volunteer & canine team compared with a 2% drop for patients who were visited by only a volunteer.

This Tuesday you can destress with Caring Canines on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 from 11am to 2pm at the Student Health Center lawn (Bigler Road).  The event is sponsored by Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).

Smith, M. A. (2016). Calm; Calm the mind, change the world. New York: Harper Design.