I built a really sweet evening routine with my dogs and it's really helped with my mental health
For context, I'm in my early 30s (F) and single. I was mostly fine with being on my own but I'd definitely sometimes get a bit lonely, especially since it's just me and my pets (including two dogs).
I'm not entirely sure how it happened exactly but, over the last few weeks, I've been building a little routine with my dogs.
First they have their dinner. They often follow me around the kitchen whilst I prep this, or pick a spot to lie down and watch me potter about.
After dinner, I give them their medicine. One of them has tablets (antibiotics and pain meds), and the other has ear drops for an ear infection.
Then I brush their teeth. We do this every evening (I might sometimes skip an evening if I'm really tired).
I let them out for potty. Once they're done, I brush both of them and check/trim their nails as needed (I do this a couple of times a week).
I only make/reheat my dinner once the dogs are all sorted. They usually cuddle up to me whilst I'm eating. After that, it's time to get ready for bed - shower, skincare, and lights out!
It's such a simple routine but it's one of my favourite parts of the day. I get to spend half an hour or so just hanging out with my doggies and making sure they're looked after!
However, today I watched one of my dogs slowly close his eyes and rest his head on my hand whilst I brushed his teeth, and it occurred to me that it's probably also one of the best parts of their day too.
I can't describe how healing this process has been. There's so much sadness in the world right now but having these quiet moments with my boys has brought me so much joy and peace.