This Anti-Fatigue Kitchen Mat Has Helped Reduce My Stress and Back Pain

My dog has been really sick with chronic pancreatitis and requires a homemade diet right now. So I've been boiling chicken and rice, cooking lean ground turkey and scrambling eggs for him every day per our vet's instructions. Obviously I want my dog to get better, so I'm willing to cook an extra meal or two each day, but all of that standing and cooking (in addition to the cooking I do for my human family) has taken a toll on my back and feet.

I should note that even though I'm only 29, I am not exactly spry. I played competitive golf for nearly two decades, so all of that walking, carrying a bag and swinging for hours every day left me with chronic tightness in my back. Add cooking multiple different meals a day into the mix, and you can see why I wanted to find a solution to ease some of that pain and stress. I decided to try out an anti-fatigue kitchen mat to see if it would help. Spoiler: It did. 

I got a WellnessMat from Williams Sonoma and, in the week or so I've used it, it's been an absolute game-changer. The mat is incredibly cushy, but is firm enough to reduce shock absorption, help physical stress, and support my posture. And from a practical standpoint, I love that it's antimicrobial, so it just wipes clean when I spill food on it. Most importantly, it's helped my back pain and tightness in my feet from standing in the kitchen barefoot.

I also love that it comes in two sizes (3'x2' and 6'x2') and four colors (black, brown, tan and gray) to match your kitchen decor. I opted for the smaller size in black, and it's been great so far. While these mats are a little pricey (they run between $139-$279 when they're full priced), they're on sale right now. The smaller mat is currently $28 off and the larger one is $56 off. I know it seems like a silly luxury, but these anti-fatigue mats have been life-changing. I didn't realize how much standing on a hard tile floor was affecting my back pain and stress levels until I brought this mat into my kitchen. Now I can meal prep, make homemade dog food and more without thinking twice about it. And to me, that's worth every penny.