A woman relaxes happily on her sofa Does it ever feel like no matter what you do, you come home at the end of the day feeling tired and stressed? Stress is more than just an unpleasant feeling — when left unchecked, chronic stress can negatively affect your health and quality of life, impacting everything from getting a restful night’s sleep to catching a cold. That’s why it’s important to find ways to reduce and manage stress; especially strategies that can easily fit into your everyday life. Here are some simple things you can do on a daily basis, to help ease feelings of stress. Try some of the following de-stressing methods each day; they may seem small, but over time they add up to make a big difference.

1. Spend 15 Minutes Outside Every Day

Getting a change of scene, a bit of daylight and some fresh air — even for 15 minutes — is a good way to relax both your body and your brain. A brief step outside gives you a chance to mentally reset, and come back to the task you’re working on with renewed energy. If you spend much of your day looking at screens, this also gives your eyes a chance to rest and decompress from the strain of staring at our devices. Take a walk around the block to add a little exercise. Or, find a place to sit outside and bring some water to sip. When you come back to the task at hand, you’ll be surprised at what a difference a 15 minute break can truly make.

2. Play with a Pet

Taking a few minutes to play with a pet is great for both you and your animal. If you already have a pet, schedule anywhere from 10-30 minutes in your day to spend time with them — whether that’s playing fetch, or simply sitting together. Attention from you is likely the highlight of your pet’s day, and scientific studies indicate that pets can reduce stress and may even improve their humans’ mental health. If you don’t have a pet, find a friend who does and ask if you can take their dog for a walk once a week, or spend time with their cat. Many animal rescue organizations will also allow you to set up time to come visit, walk, or play with the animals at the shelter.

3. Make a Realistic and Flexible Daily Task List

Many people find it calming to make a list of each day’s tasks. This helps reduce the nagging feeling that you’re forgetting to do something important. Making a list also allows you set realistic expectations for what you actually can get done in a given day. If there are too many time-consuming tasks on one day’s list, it’s time to reassess what’s most important, and move some tasks to a different day. Be sure to leave room for flexibility; don’t fill up your entire day with tasks. This way, your list doesn’t become an extra source of stress if unexpected things pop up.

4. Get Comfortable While Working

Many of us spend a significant amount of time sitting in a chair during the workday. Unfortunately, most office furniture isn’t very comfortable and can create physical stress on your back, legs, and arms. To remedy this, look for ergonomic office furniture and accessories that are designed to not only keep you more comfortable, but also prevent strain and injuries over time. If you can, request or invest in a new chair or a standing desk to your office. If that’s not an option for you, even just adding a supportive cushion can make a big difference in your comfort level and the stress on your body.

5. Get Comfortable While Relaxing

This may sound redundant — shouldn’t relaxing be comfortable by nature? Not necessarily! Sitting or laying on a sofa or armchair is a go-to option for relaxing at the end of the day; but it’s only truly relaxing your body if the furniture is supportive. It’s hard to get the benefits of relaxation if your sofa makes your back hurt after a while. The years of comfort you and your family will experience by bringing well-designed, ergonomically supportive sofas and recliners into your home are worth the investment.

6. Stretch

It’s important to get up and stretch on a regular basis, both at work and at home. Whether you’re on an hours-long conference call at the office, or binge-watching a hot new show with your family over the weekend, your body needs to move around at least every hour or so. The pressure sitting creates needs to be relieved before it can turn into pain. That’s why you may not notice the strain on your body until you get up to use the restroom, or leave the office at the end of the day. Try setting an alert on your phone once every hour, to remind you to stand up. You might go get a drink of water, or simply stand at your desk and stretch your arms and legs. Gentle stretching and movement can reduce the physical stress from sitting — and avoiding that pain helps prevent mental stress, as well.

7. Get Quality Sleep

Sleep is one of your body’s most important defenses against stress; but too often, stress makes it harder to fall asleep. Establish a nightly bedtime routine that functions as a countdown to sleep, and something relaxing you can look forward to. You can get better quality sleep when you have comfortable mattresses and pillows that give you the support you need. When your bedding gives you the right support, you can wake up feeling well-rested and stress-free. Need help reducing stress? Ask our team at The Back Store how we can help.