DEBRA VILCHIS, 37 Wheeling, Illinois

Energy sappers: In addition to caring for her three children, ages six, five, and seven months, and working full-time as a vice president of a public-relations agency, Vilchis spends every Sunday teaching religious school.

Energy saver: Taking time for herself twice a day.

"After my kids were born, I became bent on avoiding stressful, frantic mornings — the kind that make you exhausted before you even get to the office. So my number one rule is `Don't let your kids be your alarm clock.' I'm up every morning at 5 A.M. — an hour and a half before the kids rise. I take a full hour to get ready, and after my husband leaves for work at 6, I take a half hour for myself. Everything is quiet. No television. No radio. I light some candles in my room and just sit there. When the kids wake up, I'm ready to go."

"I use my lunch hour to recharge. On most days, I eat a sandwich at my desk, then get in my car, pop in a Barenaked Ladies or Rod Stewart CD, and drive slowly with no destination. I sing along like a fruitcake to 'If I Had $1,000,000' or 'Maggie May.' When I return to the office, I feel renewed. My lunch hour is my big, huge, hour-long deep-cleansing breath."

Her advice: "You deserve — and need — to spend some time alone. You'll be happier, and you'll be nicer to your kids."