How Noodle helps people:

Noodle helps people in so many ways. Some people struggle with their emotions and feelings, Some people struggle to cope with situations due to neurodiverse conditions. Others may struggle due to ill health

Noodle enables people to get away from their thoughts both from the past & thinking about the future. Being focused on what is happening around you and enjoying the moment, is mindfulness.

Noodle thinks he is a lap dog

Are you mindful or is your your mind full?

The person has different thoughts, thinking about what has happened, what is going to happen & what could happen. The dog is just looking ahead and seeing the trees, sunshine & open space. The dog is enjoying the present moment & not thinking about anything else.

I can apply this to Noodle's visits with Paws4Minds. Often people we visit, have many worries, pressures & are suffering from stress. The stress they endure, affects their mental health. They often struggle with their emotions & coping with situations that are around them

What often happens is Noodle enters the room, he usually has a little explore, with the permission from those who have organised the visit, tail wagging, ears up, looking happy, relaxed & playful. Straight away I see the reaction and body language of the participants change. You see them starting to be at ease & interested

Noodle encourages interaction, it is usually with a ball in his mouth. When he wants it throwing or rolled, he comes over stands and wags his tail. Other times he will drop the ball near the person & gives them a gentle nudge with his nose. For most people they find this funny, they smile & does what he wants.

If he catches the ball I praise him, he likes to do a little lap of honour, to show how clever & happy he is, I think he knows it makes people laugh & gets him even more attention & reaction.

Other times, he is happy to sit on a chair or sofa. He likes people sitting next to him. Gently rubbing his belly, chest, ears or stroking his head.

Straight away Noodle, has helped to lower people's guard. They don't realise they have done this. Noodle has done this without talking, no questions & without seeking answers. Something us humans struggle to do.

Once people are relaxed, often conversation follows more naturally & freely. Now the staff have a pathway opened, to find ways of communicating & finding out the information they may need

For someone who is struggling & who likes dogs, this is a natural form of therapy. Noodle is not invasive, he wont interfere, ask questions. Noodle forms a bond of trust, love & support. He helps them to feel calm and more relaxed, so they start to feel happy and more at ease and comfortable.

Noodle does not judge people on their thoughts, opinions or feelings. Once he knows & trusts he is happy to interact often in his own fun & loving manner. People end up feeling more relaxed when they stroke, interact & talk to Noodle

Noodle is a gentle, friendly, and a loving boy. He is social and likes the company of people. This is his form of therapy & support, so it becomes a two way support system

Visit: www.paws4minds.co.uk for more information about Noodle & our services.

Paws4Minds go to college

Noodle, the Paws4Minds Therapy Dog

During the 8-12th September was a new chapter for those entering Further Education at Hull College. Noodle & myself were delighted in supporting the students at the start of their pathway into adulthood. The first week can be daunting, confusing and overwhelming for some people.

A new place, with large buildings, with several floors. Having to negotiate around a place, with so many people, having to learn many names, where classrooms are and a new time table.

Noodle's role is to give a source of comfort to those who need it but also be there who are happy & have good mental health

Noodle, the therapy dog, receives gentle affection while offering comfort and joy to those around.

During Monday to Wednesday the aim was to enable the freshers to meet & learn about Noodle. We made our base in Hully Gardens, which is a central communal area, where people can eat snacks, have a coffee or just sit & relax. Its a central part of the main building which so many people pass through. I set up table, with information and Noodle sat near me on one of the comfy type sofa.

Noodle making himself comfy in the reception area

Individuals, groups of friends & staff would come & say hello, some choosing to sit with him for a few minutes, others stroking him quickly as they passed by. We sat and chatted with students. some were happy and excited but others were feeling overwhelmed.

Many of the students were intrigued by Noodle's presence on campus. I explained his role as a Wellbeing Support Dog/Therapy dog. He is non judgemental & his love is unconditional.

The amount of smiles and also happy faces as they saw him, showed how, his presence alone helps improve people's moods by just being there.

Noodle is well known by staff and second year students. We often don't see how busy education staff are or the pressures they face in their roles. The staff definitely enjoy Noodles company and appreciate seeing him as he brings a sense of joy & happiness with his happy face & wagging tail.

Noodle is happy to sit & cuddle with people

Thursday & Friday, we both walked around the campus. Noodle was invited into classrooms & staff areas Noodle loves walking around visiting different rooms. . He does like to investigate and discovers where stashes of food & snacks are kept by staff, maybe he could be trained as a sniffer dog, as a second job?

We were invited into a maths classroom, the technology wasn't playing ball, students couldn't log in. We were walking past, the tutor saw Noodle and invited us in, as everyone was a bit stressed. He soon lightened the mood. She said she needed him more than the students

People would come say hello & make a fuss of Noodle

We popped to see the Data Services Team, they deal with time tables etc, they were more than happy to see Noodle, have him sniff around & stroke him. He made them laugh as he knew where the biscuit cupboard was, nice try Noodle but to no joy.....I know I'm mean, poor boy.

There were so many people and departments that we said hi too, you'd be here all day reading this blog.

I can certainly say he is popular with staff, as he is with the students.

When Paws4Minds work with organisations, we want to support their staff, students, service users/clients, this for me makes our visits so rewarding.

From all different roles & departments. It doesn't matter who you are, mental ill health can affect anyone. There are also different types of mental ill health from stress to severe mental illness & having understanding & developing empathy, can really help people and potentially save lives.

Noodle is a holistic and discreet form of therapy. Often people don't even realise he has supported them. During many occasions he has sat there, letting individuals stroke him, he engages with his paw, tail wagging or even showing people his tennis ball in his mouth. Noodle helps reduce cortisol levels, increases serotonin levels & helps people to bond & socialise with increase of oxytocin. Dogs help to lower blood pressure too. All these help bring a greater sense of calm. These are just some of the simple and basic scientific benefits, there are many more

Autumn is arriving quick here in the UK

Hello & welcome to the Paws4Minds Blog.

The weather has certainly started to change to one of an Autumnal feel.

I personally like Autumn, i like the fresher air, the reduced humidity. Its certainly more enjoyable to walk Noodle. I noticed he sniffs around trees much more & I let him take his time as that is like the internet to dogs, in terms of how they communicate.

For some though the move towards Winter may not have such a happy feel. The nights are drawing in and daylight hours are reducing. Rain is much more frequent in the UK, even more noticeable as many areas are in drought and have water usage restrictions in place, after a very dry Spring & Summer. It all doesn't need to be negative.

Autumn is a great time for mindfulness activities and techniques. These can help you to be in the present moment of time & not thinking about the past or future.

The sky is a great place to help with mindfulness. Look up during the day and see what types of clouds are in the sky. Are they bubbly, fluffy clouds, that look like they are out of a cartoon? Or are they thin, streaky, spread across the bright blue sky? Are the clouds high up into space or are they lower enough that they seem like you could jump up & touch them?

Take a look up at the sky, what can you see, what is happening?

What colours are the clouds, are they bright white, dull grew or a dark purple/black colour that almost look angry? Are they tinged with yellows, orange or red from the sun rays?

Can you see any shapes or figures made from the clouds, maybe you can see a shape of an animal, creature or an object.

When you walk along, have you noticed the trees. The leaves are changing colour from the various shades of green to yellows, browns & reds, with many starting to fall, especially with the winds that we are experiencing.

As you look at the trees, have you noticed the colour of the leaves?

If you have a local park or woodland, try to look up. Experience the different effects the sun light has on the leaves, the tones it creates.

Do you ever notice the different natural light within woodlands or parks?

What birds can you hear, are their other noises you have noticed?

Doing like the above can certainly add to the experience of that moment of time. It enables us to be part of what is happening around us. It can help reduce our stress levels and increase our mood.

Mindfulness doesn't need to be complicated & often it can be free and something you can do on your own or with other people too. What noises can you hear, what smells are in the air around you, what are people doing or what is happening around you? It can be done in the day or during the night.

In busy cities you can take time to notice, what is going on around you

By doing this you are using & connecting with your senses. Maybe this is something us humans don't do enough of & we forget about these most basic, natural but power tools we have in our grasp.

Mindfulness helps to take us away from the issues or problems we maybe experiencing, helping us to maybe react or reflect differently. it can be so enjoyable & relaxing, helping to bring calm and peace to our minds.

You can experience mindfulness anywhere. You can do it in a busy city centre, from an office window or even on a commute home from work, it can be done anyway you want & even be your own little secret