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Is cow cuddling the answer to expat executive stress
| Published: | 25 Jul at 6 PM |
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Every expat who owns a pet knows cuddling a dog or cat is a stress reliever but, for those without furry best friends, what’s the best thing to do?
In the ‘60s, tree hugging was widely recommended as a stress-buster, but finding a tree in today’s fashionable architectural wastelands could be tricky. However, for expats who’ve relocated to the Netherlands, there’s a way
forward – cuddling a cow! Cow-cuddling is highly recommended by Dutch scientists as a way to relieve the stresses of the average workplace as it reduces anxiety and actually improves your health.
According to psychologist Matthew Hertenstien, director of DePauw University’s Touch and Emotion Lab, stimulating your skin’s touch receptors has the ability to lower blood pressure as well as cortisol levels, reducing stress and initiating the feel-good factor. Neurologist Shekar Raman agrees, saying the more you connect with other living things the happier you’ll be. Technically speaking, the average Dutch cow’s body temperature is higher than its human equivalent and its heart rate is lower – giving intense relaxation when humans cuddle a friendly cow.
Given the fact that the Netherlands is a major world producer and exporter of dairy products, finding a suitably friendly cow to cuddle isn’t at all difficult. Cow cuddling originated in the Netherlands, and plenty of farms now offer the experience, which is now spreading to Switzerland, Belgium and even upstate New York with its Mountain Horse Farm’s ‘Horse and Cow Experience’. Here in the Netherlands, stressed out expats are gradually introduced to their cow in order to ensure it’s up for a hug. Once you’ve established a rapport and donned the provided overalls and wellie boots, cow-cuddling can begin.
Luckily for expat stress sufferers, the experience in Amsterdam is far cheaper than in upstate New York, with one farm just half an hour from the city charging just 25 euros for up to 3.5 hours of cow-cuddling including a tour of the working farm, snacks and a drink. A 90-minute cow-cuddle at its American rival costs a staggering $300 for two people, enough in itself to induce a rush of even more stress, this time financially-related, and making the Amsterdam experience even more tempting. For expats having a tough time with their stressed-out bosses, a cow-cuddling voucher makes the perfect Christmas gift and could possibly result in a promotion.
In the ‘60s, tree hugging was widely recommended as a stress-buster, but finding a tree in today’s fashionable architectural wastelands could be tricky. However, for expats who’ve relocated to the Netherlands, there’s a way
forward – cuddling a cow! Cow-cuddling is highly recommended by Dutch scientists as a way to relieve the stresses of the average workplace as it reduces anxiety and actually improves your health.
According to psychologist Matthew Hertenstien, director of DePauw University’s Touch and Emotion Lab, stimulating your skin’s touch receptors has the ability to lower blood pressure as well as cortisol levels, reducing stress and initiating the feel-good factor. Neurologist Shekar Raman agrees, saying the more you connect with other living things the happier you’ll be. Technically speaking, the average Dutch cow’s body temperature is higher than its human equivalent and its heart rate is lower – giving intense relaxation when humans cuddle a friendly cow.
Given the fact that the Netherlands is a major world producer and exporter of dairy products, finding a suitably friendly cow to cuddle isn’t at all difficult. Cow cuddling originated in the Netherlands, and plenty of farms now offer the experience, which is now spreading to Switzerland, Belgium and even upstate New York with its Mountain Horse Farm’s ‘Horse and Cow Experience’. Here in the Netherlands, stressed out expats are gradually introduced to their cow in order to ensure it’s up for a hug. Once you’ve established a rapport and donned the provided overalls and wellie boots, cow-cuddling can begin.
Luckily for expat stress sufferers, the experience in Amsterdam is far cheaper than in upstate New York, with one farm just half an hour from the city charging just 25 euros for up to 3.5 hours of cow-cuddling including a tour of the working farm, snacks and a drink. A 90-minute cow-cuddle at its American rival costs a staggering $300 for two people, enough in itself to induce a rush of even more stress, this time financially-related, and making the Amsterdam experience even more tempting. For expats having a tough time with their stressed-out bosses, a cow-cuddling voucher makes the perfect Christmas gift and could possibly result in a promotion.
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