Renée Restivo of Bayonne, New Jersey, was head-ing toward the corner office in a high-powered advertising career on Madison Avenue. “It was a lot of stress and responsibility,” she recalls. Despite her crazy schedule, Restivo snuck in a cooking course on Saturdays. “It was my one little piece of happiness,” she says. “Even if the other 6 days were stressful, I could get inspired that 1 day of my week.”

She found the time because she considered it an investment in discovering herself. “It’s a matter of priorities,” she says. “If I hadn’t dedicated a tiny bit of time to my hobby, I never would have known how passionate I was about cooking.” Restivo eventually quit her job, got a master’s degree in writing, and made cooking a bigger part of her life, including a blog she writes about authentic sensual food.

Like Restivo, most of us are hard-pressed to squeeze 5 minutes of leisure time out of the day, let alone the ongoing blocks of time needed to sustain a hobby.

Ever feel like climbing out of bed is the most exhausting thing you do all day? Morning sluggishness is epidemic—and caffeine may seem like the only cure. But, maybe not. Hiding under your comforter is a morning person bursting with energy, says Mary Ann Bauman, MD, author of Fight Fatigue: Six Simple Steps to Maximize Your Energy. Wake up with this a.m. makeover.

Step away from the snooze button
Any sleep you sneak in after that initial alarm won’t be truly restorative. So instead of hitting snooze for 20 minutes after it goes off, set your clock for the time you really have to get up.

Lose the kinks
Back muscles often stiffen while we sleep. Solution: Flood those muscles with oxygen, a key ingredient your cells need to create energy. Sit up in bed or stand with your legs several inches apart, right hand on your waist. Reach overhead with your left arm and stretch as far to the right as you can. Repeat on the other side.

A piece of essential wisdom about our lives is broadcast every time a plane takes off. No, it’s not about your tray table. It’s this: If the oxygen mask drops and you’re traveling with small kids, put yours on first—before you help them.
Too many women, single or married, childless or mothers, are endlessly fulfilling every obligation except the one to themselves. For your mental, physical, and psychological well-being, you sometimes just need to stop. Then you need to do something you want to do. You need to take some Me Time.