Are you feeling stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed because of things like the current coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak? If so, you’re not alone. The coronavirus outbreak is uncharted territory for many of us and the sudden change to how we live our lives can cause you to feel stressed, worried, anxious, or overwhelmed. It’s totally normal to feel this way but as you might have guessed, if you’re feeling a little stressed lately, your dog is probably feeling a little stressed too. Our dogs mirror us in more ways than one. If they sense that you’re feeling stressed about something, they will mimic those feelings because that’s what dogs do. They trust you and your emotions. They assess situations as they happen based on how their leader assesses and reacts to certain situations. Of course, with a worldwide pandemic uprooting life as we know it for us all, containing feelings of stress and anxiety is becoming increasingly difficult. Kathy understands this on a personal level. A series of events in her personal life, paired with the stress and anxiety that comes with the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak triggered Kathy to have a meltdown while she was out trying to enjoy her morning walk with her dogs. Kathy shares her personal story with you on this episode of Enlightened By Dogs and offers some advice to help you find your balance in times of great stress through intentional breathing. In this episode: What caused Kathy’s emotional meltdown How Kathy’s dogs reacted to her having the meltdown in the middle of their morning walk How Kathy used intentional breathing to find her balance Why intentional breathing is so important and beneficial How you can breathe with intention and use this breathing technique to help calm yourself and your dogs in times of stress and overwhelm Quotes: “Within a few minutes I felt renewed, refreshed, ready to take on the day.” “We have the capability to influence our dogs to be happy, calm, and relaxed.” “Your body senses your breathing and adapts its heart rate in response to that.” “Our ability to be mindful and intentional is what our partnership lifestyle is based on.”   Love this and want more? Subscribe to the Enlightened By Dogs podcast in your favorite app! Don’t forget to leave us a rating and review – it would make Kathy and all of her four-legged friends very happy! Kathy is offering a big “thank you” for rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts   Want More of Kathy? Brilliant Partners Academy Enlightened by Dogs Website Facebook Community Read the blog post on this topic.