If you’re a 20-something living in 2016, then “existential crisis” is definitely in your vocabulary. I’m pretty sure I’ve used that phrase since before I even know how to properly pronounce it. If you’re like me, then you’ve probably had maybe 50 to 100 incidents of emotionally-draining panic over what your purpose in life is.

Especially once you’re out of college, free from the chains of the American educational system, no longer required to do any more projects or homework, figuring out what’s next is not easiest thing, nor is it the fastest.

It could take lots of time. So that’s why I slept until noon for three months straight. For a while after graduation, I was hyped. Totally ready to work on myself, do things I was never able to do in school with the last few paychecks from my old on-campus job.

I could have used that money wisely, saved up for a new car, or loan bills, but that would be boring.

I bought a dog.

Well, I rescued him, but yeah, I got a tiny little pup as a “hey you finished the college thing” gift. It may not have been the smartest thing considering I still live with my mom and I’m certainly not staying there my whole life, but it was the right thing.

I underestimated how much work raising a one-year-old dog could be. Our last dog was this 35-pound pug who never did anything but eat, sleep and poop. He came to us as an adult dog, so no training was necessary. This little, 15-pound, skinny little mutt needs all the maintenance.

But, he’s still a dog, so it kind of balances itself out. Yes, he’s had some accidents, tipped over the garbage and chased the cat, but when you come home after just an hour of errands and you’re greeted with something that’s so excited to see you that it can’t even stand up straight, it hits you right in the heart.

I think I may have found the cure to existential crises.

It was probably obvious, considering the Internet is filled with photos and videos of wonderfully loving pets, but it doesn’t really set in until you live it. Adopting a dog was a perfect cure to my looming post-graduation boredom.

For starters, having my little guy around got me outdoors more. Instead of curled up in a ball on my couch covered in a million blankets alternating between doodling and binge-watching Netflix shows, I got to walk around my neighborhood and breathe what people call “fresh air.” I also spent more time in my own yard, letting the pup explore his world as I tried so desperately to get a tan.

I realized this little furry child lived for me, and the other humans in the house. He needed our constant attention and I know I needed his. It felt good to have some purpose. A constant reminder that, even though I was unemployed and had no deadlines or due dates to meet, I still needed to wake up and get out of bed or else my dog would make a mess of the house.

It was like having a partner in crime who told me repeatedly that I matter and I have a purpose, at least in his eyes. Everyone, do yourself a favor, get a dog.