Go on, take a load off...the doctors say so

Finally, a study that backs me up on my couch bumming habits! Okay, okay... so I know this isn't exactly the most unbiased or scientific source, but a recent La-Z-Boy study showed that 9 out of 10 doctors agreed that daily relaxation at home, generally for an hour a day, is important for reducing one's stress levels and "94 percent of doctors agree that sitting at home in a reclining position reduces stress." Now, I think most of us can agree that kind of advice just makes good old common sense.

Your home should be your sanctuary. So even if you've got 1,001 DIY projects going on—at various levels of incompleteness—you should still carve out a little space that you can retreat to and unwind. Stress really does bad things to your body: headaches, backaches, heart palpitations, stomach problems and even high blood pressure. And if you're laid out sick, you're going to be getting even less done around the house or in your daily life.

So take a few tips from this past summer's article on prepping your place for a staycation. I think turning your bath, bedroom or study into a calming zone, filled with a soothing paint palette and few details that inspire tranquility, will be just what the doctor ordered. Oh, and don't forget the recliner.