You can wash your hands and take your multivitamin every day, but that’s not always enough to keep your body and mind humming. What can make a difference:

 

1. Follow the rule of 3
Staying well means eating well.  Visualize a peace sign on your plate at meals, fill one third with lean protein, the second with a quality carbohydrate, and the third with fruits or veggies (heavy on those dark leafy greens, please!).  Choose at least 2 different types of foods for snacks.

 

2. Give yourself a time-out
Make sure your children are safe, then find a quiet place you can be alone.  Shut the door, and take 3 minutes to yourself.  Breathe!

 

3. Air out the house
Open the windows and let the stuffiness out.  And turn on your kitchen exhaust fan for at least ten minutes every day. It’s an easy way to clear out dust, allergens, chemical buildup from common household cleaners, and even the pollutants we carry in on our clothes and shoes from outdoors.

 

4. Schedule playdates
Kids aren’t the only ones who need to have fun is a motto of sorts for Olinda Reynaud of Richmond, Virginia, mom of Evan and Mallory, 8 and 5. “Once a month, I have a happy-hour date with my girlfriends, and no kids are allowed.”

 

5. Let your mind wander
“When my two kids were young, I used the daily crossword in the paper to unwind,” says Karen Zager, Ph.D., a New York City psychologist. “Focusing on finding the right words helped me let go of the day’s tensions.” Other moms swear by physical activities like knitting or gardening.

 

6. Make workouts sacred
We all know regular exercise helps the heart, bones, and mind stay strong — if you do it often enough.  Of course, you needn’t join a gym. Trade childcare with a neighbor, or jot down your workout slots on the calendar so your husband knows when he’ll be on duty. If you treat workouts as important health appointments, you’re more likely to keep them.

 

7. Go for the green
Don’t underestimate the power of a tree!  Nature is good for you, says Frances Kuo, Ph.D., psychology professor and nature researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “People have a greater sense of well-being the more they are in touch with nature. There’s even evidence that people recover from surgery faster if they have a view of trees instead of something like a brick wall.”

 

8. Get into the groove
Who doesn’t love listening to favorite songs from high school? Turns out it can be good for you, too. “It transports your mind back by triggering the neural patterns that were originally stimulated at the happy event,” says Barbara Reuer, Ph.D., a San Diego music therapist. “This can lower the stress hormones that sometimes make us sick.”

 

9. Just (don’t) do it
When you’ve had it with all your to-do’s, try a do-nothing day — or afternoon. I buy some magazines and rent the kids a DVD, make popcorn, and order in Chinese food or pizza. No laundry, no phone calls, no playdates, and no errands — it’s a mini-vacation!

 

10. Turn errands into exercise
“I always look for an active way to do them,” says Selene Yeager of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, and mom of Juniper, age 3. “I put on my backpack and ride my bike with my daughter to the store. Sometimes we drop off library books, pick up milk and bread, even grab a frozen treat; it becomes a fun adventure rather than a tedious round of errands.”

 

11. Get enough shut-eye
There is plenty of evidence to show that sleep deprivation hinders a whole slew of things, including concentration, memory, cognitive function, and immunity.

 

12. Rent a comedy
Funny and uplifting movies can make you feel better — laughing is said to boost serotonin, the feel-good hormone in your brain.

 

13. Jump-start your energy

If you’re yawning at midday, take two minutes to go up and down a flight of stairs. No stairs? Walk around the block or your office building. Such short bursts burn calories, enhance your mental clarity, and help you relax.

 

14. Benefit from blooms
Feeling frazzled? Treat yourself to flowers. Researchers at Kansas State University discovered that flowers actually work as a pain reliever; they think that the bright colors may stimulate our brains to produce serotonin and other good-mood hormones. Flowery fragrances are also thought to chase away the blues.

 

15. Act happy
…even if you have to fake it. “When I’m crabby, I make a point of being nice to someone I don’t know — the supermarket cashier, say — and I always feel better,” says Trudy Miller. Optimists are less likely to die from heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular problems than pessimists, say Dutch researchers, who speculate that a sunny disposition helps protect the immune system.

 

16. Refocus on food
Don’t think in terms of “bad” food, or depriving yourself. New York City nutritionist Elisa Zied, a mom of two, has a more positive approach: “If I’m thinking about chocolate, I run a mental check on what I haven’t had yet. If it’s fruit, veggies, or something whole grain, I’ll go for that first, and I may still have room for the less nutritious candy.”

 

17. Dump out your purse
You may still have 50 zillion things to do, but less junk to sift through lifts a mental load — and your aching shoulders will thank you.

 

18. Turn your car into a bookmobile
Rebecca Jaffe, a doctor and a mom of two, Joshua, 10, and Rachel, 8, in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, listens to books on tape during her daily commute. “It makes my car seem like a retreat,” says Jaffe. She also listens to books on tape with her children as a way of unwinding together.

 

19. Stretch it out
“When my two-year-old daughter is occupied, I grab a few minutes for this move,” says Janice Gates, a yoga instructor in San Anselmo, California:

• Lie on your back with your legs up against a wall, so your body’s in an L shape.
• Close your eyes and take slow, deep breaths.
• Try to maintain the pose for 5 to 15 minutes to ease muscle tension and replenish energy.