Tell your pets your Holiday Plans
Holidays can be stressful and full of emotion for us as humans, did you know that your animals experience stress and emotions during this time too? It’s important to keep your companion animals in the loop during the holiday festivities and activities such as parties, events, and even school breaks.
Animals read energy. They spend their lives in our worlds observing and responding to the energy. Their bubble of energy is constantly adjusting to the energy fields of everyone in the home. Often they take on jobs within the family to keep the energy flowing, absorbing the emotions of their people or acting out to get stuck energy moving again.
When something shifts energetically, it disrupts their routine, especially holidays and big events. If they aren't told the details about why their routine will be or currently is being disrupted, they often absorb the stress, get overwhelmed, and start acting out. No one enjoys that! You or them.
There are simple ways to make sure your animals know what’s happening. It begins with you talking out loud to them. Yes, you read that correctly, your animals can understand you when you talk to them. They may not understand the details of the things that you say, but they do understand and feel how you feel about the situation.
Update them on plans as soon as they are made to help them understand this energetic shift. Just speaking about what is going on for you out loud helps them understand what they are energetically sensing. By speaking it, you own it, and they don’t have to worry about trying to absorb your stress.
Animals understand the concept of time better when you speak about the number of meals than days and nights. Calendars aren’t their thing. Refer to days by the number of meals. Such as 1 day for my dog Prince is 2 meals. Then if I am going to be gone for 4 days - I will tell Prince I will be gone for 8 meals.
Give them a timeline. Start with the big picture and then focus on daily updates. Sharing the overall big picture lets them know how long until things will happen. As well as when events will take place. For example: I’d say out loud to Prince “In two weeks, 28 meals, 10 people will be arriving to spend 5 nights with us. I have a lot on my to-do list to get everything ready for them. In the house - cleaning and chucking out things I don’t need. I want to tend the garden and I have Christmas shopping, and meal planning to do as well. Just telling you all this stresses me out.” Did you notice how I explained to Prince what is going to happen, what I need to do about it, and how it is currently making me feel?
Add in the details of the holidays - the more specifics the better such as; who is coming to dinner, the timing of it, as well as how your animals’ job may be different throughout the holiday activities. As a result, they will be more relaxed and you have one less thing to worry about. Start sharing with them the whole holiday plan: all the details, people, and schedule. Include how all of this will affect their schedule and they will be tended to. Remember, they care about getting fed, and cuddles or walks too. The more you share about what’s going on, the happier they will be.
Update them if you are having guests overnight invading their territory. Let them know in advance who the guests are, how many meals until they arrive, and for how many meals they’re staying. Where will the person/s be sleeping? How will having these people around alter their daily routine? Do these people share their lives with dogs and cats? If so, what are the names of their animal companions?
If you’re traveling and they’re staying home – tell them the plans. Your plans and then their care plan. Who is taking care of them? Is a person coming to the home or are they going somewhere? How long will this person be caring for them? etc. Let them know the number of days until you leave by how many meals until you leave, how many meals you’ll be gone, etc. If you’ll be gone only for the day, let them know. Again, tell them where you’ll be going, what you’ll be doing, and when you’ll be coming home.
Now that you have given them the details for the upcoming events, stay present today and give them a daily synopsis. Even if it is the same old routine of walking, working, home, walking, playing, and sleeping. Spice it up with details and how you are feeling, since they are tracking what’s going on inside you, such as, “I have a big meeting today and I am tired and unprepared.” Or with regards to the holidays add in the stage of planning you're in, what’s on the list to accomplish, or when people are arriving etc.
Be present throughout the day - having your internal world match how you are showing up and being in the world. The animals can feel that you are stressed, it has a certain smell, an energy and if you act like all is well when inside it's really anxiety, your energy won’t match, and that freaks them out. Don’t worry, there’s a simple solution: acknowledge you are stressed and share what you are doing to help care for yourself. You can go into specifics highlighting the things that are causing you stress and what you are doing about it but the simple acknowledgement of the stress is often enough. Animals are excellent non-judgmental, compassionate therapists so going into the specifics may be (more) helpful for you.
This may be new for you to tell your animal companion everything, and it may even feel strange, ridiculous, or silly the first few times you try it. It will get easier and more normal for you, the more you practice.
As for them understanding you, don’t worry, your thoughts automatically get turned into images that the animals can understand. So they may not understand the complication that is the English language, but they do fully understand intention and energy. Talking with them as soon as plans are made gives them the opportunity to adjust and be prepared ahead of time. The more relaxed they are, the more relaxed you and your guests will be!
Give it a try throughout the holidays and observe if there is a difference in their behavior as well as your stress level after telling them. Enjoy!