West highland terrier Hamish, the beloved pet of UNE Professor of Psychology Don Hine, makes regular cameos in Don's presentations, earning Hamish a loyal following among students. "He is quickly becoming a celebrity at UNE," Don says. "Whenever I include Hamish in a lecture, I get lots of positive feedback and comments on the student bulletin board. Sometimes I worry that the students are just turning up for the dog stories."
Here Don wraps up his Positive Psychology series by reflecting on what Hamish has taught him about living well.
Get enough sleep. Hamish is an excellent sleeper. Mornings, afternoons, evenings - he’s always up for a good nap. He’s probably on to something. In his fascinating book Why We Sleep Matthew Walker puts a compelling scientific case that most people living in Western democracies are chronically sleep-deprived. According to his research, getting less than eight or nine hours sleep per night can cause a host of health problems including Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular issues and cancer, as well as anxiety and depression. To be healthy and well-adjusted, take Hamish’s lead and get lots of sleep.
Eat well. Hamish lives in a home with three people who absolutely adore him. In fact, we adore him so much that we could not possibly allow him to eat commercial dog food. Who knows what’s in that stuff. Each week we take out the slow cooker and prepare a fresh batch of home-made dog food containing lean meat, fish, vegetables, a touch of oats and brown rice.
If you love your dog enough to make him/her a home-cooked meal with fresh ingredients, treat yourself with the same degree of kindness and ditch sugar and other processed foods.
Don’t hold grudges. Hamish and I occasionally have serious disagreements - usually over the appropriateness of barking incessantly after dark. Sometimes this results in indoor confinement and banishment to his crate. And, yes - sometimes I am not a paragon of patience or civility. But each morning when I wake and enter the kitchen to make my morning coffee, I’m met by a loving dog with a wagging tail who just wants a pat and a play. If only human beings were so forgiving.
Live in the present. Many of us spend far too much time regretting events from the past and worrying about the future. Mindfulness mediation encourages us to focus on the present moment - and there is lots of evidence that it is highly therapeutic. It brings calm, perspective, and sometimes even joy. We live within a 10-minute walk of a beautiful wooded area - where we let Hamish run free to explore, sniff and basically run around with a goofy grin on his face. Seeing your dog experience that level of joy is transformative … it grounds you, places you squarely in the present, worries melt away. And for a few minutes (at least) all is well with the world.
