Five thought-provoking ways to get peace of mind

I love these tips by Teresa Palagano
source-workingmother.com
Old view: After meeting my work demands and my family's needs, I just don't have any time for myself.
Switch to: I have the right to a moment—many moments—all to myself. Just saying that out loud probably makes you feel a pang of guilt. But if you don't take the time to reconnect with yourself, to replenish and renew, you will always feel overextended.

Old view: There's too much to do. I have no time for sleep, and I'm exhausted.
Switch to: Because I work so hard, I need my zzz's. It's easy enough to turn off the TV and get to bed early, but if you have young children you're going to have your share of sleepless nights. Still, there are ways to make sleep a priority. Setting consistent bedtimes for everyone helps. So do regular exercise and relaxing evening routines.

Old view: Keeping my house clean eats up so much of my time.
Switch to: My family room will never be featured in House Beautiful. And that's okay. If you have to choose between hide-and-seek or sweeping, say, "Ready or not, here I come." A spotless kitchen doesn't rank very high with kids; a fun mommy does. But there comes a time when even a fun mom has to scour the kitchen sink. So get creative. Terry Oller, a nurse and mom of two toddlers in Wayne, NJ, sets up cleaning dates with two of her friends. Just like kids trading playdates, they take turns at each other's houses for a top-to-bottom scrub fest. "One mom watches the kids while the rest of us clean," she says. "It gets done fast, and
we all get to do what we like. I find folding clothes therapeutic, so that's usually my job."

Old view: I'm constantly concerned about finances.
Switch to: Success is not defined by the size of my bank account. I'm wealthy in lots of ways.

Old view: I worry I'm not meeting the needs of each of my kids. There just isn't enough of me to go around.
Switch to: I find little ways to make each of my children feel special.Luckily, little moments count as much as big ones, and interacting can be as simple as reading each child his or her own bedtime story at night, letting each take a turn at choosing Tuesday's dinner or making time for their favorite activities, whether bike riding or playing catch.