Tips for Separation Anxiety

Though there are many levels to the cause of separation anxiety and shifting the behavior, these tips promote a new way of communicating with your beloved animal who is suffering from an unhealed emotional wound of abandonment.

Tips to begin to ease your animals’ anxiety when left alone:

1. Make an intention to come from a more grounded place of empowerment regarding their distress around being alone. Give yourself permission to disengage from the usual feelings it triggers within you and see it all from a higher perspective. Pulling back your energy will free up space for the divine to be able to assist you with the desired transformation.
2. Avoid tearful goodbyes that might be feeding your ego and codependency needs. In your thoughts and visualizations, see them feeling safe and having all of their needs met. Assume they’ll be fine when you’re not together.
3. Quiet down the happy reunions by avoiding petting or greeting her until she settles down.
4. Resist reprimanding them or focusing on the negative behavior. Scolding them for something done while you are gone will only make things worse and cause them more anxiety.
5. Prepare your animal for some alone time by burning off some energy before you leave. Maybe take them for a walk or engage in a few minutes of play time.
6. Leave them alone while you are at home for short periods of time every day so they can become more independent.
7. When you are apart, visualize your animal feeling safe, secure and peaceful. Believe and know that they are fine, and if your thoughts go to fear around what your animal is doing, pivot gently to imagining them enjoying the alone time.
8. Give praise and gratitude to your animal for the slightest of positive changes. You both need and deserve compassion and love while healing the deeper reason behind this issue.

Excerpt from Tammy Billups book, Soul Healing with Our Animal Companions.

Soul Healing with Our Animal Companions by Tammy Billups © 2018 Bear & Company. Printed with permission from the publisher Inner Traditions International. www.InnerTraditions.com