Twenty minutes for yourself is one of the best stress management tactics in the world. Moments to fantasize, dream, collect your thoughts, or dive into another world can give a person the energy needed to face a day. As you devise your new, more scheduled lifestyle, make sure to include breaks for your own sanity-savers.

“Make your priorities yours, not societies’ friends’ or family’s.” Julie McKay, Glover, Vermont

Begin the day with peace of mind. Set your alarm twenty minutes earlier than your typical setting. It’s not important to wake up and get your day started at this point. Instead, take twenty minutes to think through your day. Imagine what you hope to accomplish and visualize yourself working through your agenda with confidence, joy and ease. Think positive statements about your life, your family and yourself. This allows you to make a dry run of your day and to start each morning feeling confident and ready instead of frustrated, rushed and behind. Try this every day for a week. The rewards will be so great that it will become easy to adapt this time-saver into a ritual.

End your day with a pep talk. If morning is your worst hour, adapt the above to a nighttime ritual. Before fading into sleep, have a seat in a comfortable chair (to avoid falling asleep) and recount the positives of

“Do the best you can do in all aspects of your life and let the rest go.” Single Mother, Lake Tahoe, Nevada

Take a break. If you typically spend your lunch hour running errands, meeting others’ needs or eating with co-workers, try a variation once or twice a week. Pack a brown bag lunch and a good book and find a spot to curl up and read. Or just relax and take a walk. The important thing is to clear your mind and spend your time thinking about your goals, dreams and what is important to you.

Take a time-out. Every evening insist on a time-out in your family’s nightly schedule. Choose a half-hour that is time for you. Don’t choose something so late that you will be tempted to go to sleep. If you have older children who are usually awake, ask them to spend this time in their rooms or in a different section of your home. Use this time to focus on something you enjoy.

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