Take Time Off

One of my favorite stores has a huge sale twice a year. I take the day off work, go out for breakfast, and hit the sale. It's a great way to catch some bargains and steal a day for myself.
Wendy French
Tustin, California

I force myself to leave work at 5 P.M. once a week. I do not stay around to finish projects or make sure my desk is completely tidy. I have the whole evening ahead of me.
M. Job
New Rochelle, New York

Work With the Family Schedule

My husband is a night person, and I'm a morning person, and that gives us both time to ourselves every day. After I go to bed, he stays up to watch movies I don't want to see, and I get up about two hours before he does and quietly eat breakfast and read or go for a run.
Elizabeth Potts Weinstein
San Jose, California

Believe it or not, when I want time for myself, I clean. I know my better half will make himself scarce so he doesn't get roped into cleaning, and when I'm finished I can watch a chick flick without him.
Carla Salinas
Chicago, Illinois

I'm a full-time psychologist and the happy mom of three little boys — twin two-year-olds and a six-month-old. Thanks to help from my wonderful husband and our parents, I'm able to leave my children twice a week to sneak off with my laptop and do some work at a coffee shop. I call it my second office. I manage to be productive, but I also enjoy running into friends.
Malia Ginoza
Honolulu, Hawaii

One day per month, I leave my children with my mother-in-law and visit museums, shop, have coffee, or read a book. Everybody wins: I feel refreshed, my children build a marvelous relationship with their grandmother, and my mother-in-law gets a day off work to spend with her grandchildren.
Krista West
Portland, Oregon

Pursue a Passion

Every Wednesday night, I play in my community orchestra. This regular block of time remains separate from my work and family lives and allows me to focus on something creative and fun for a few hours each week.
Kristen Sinclair
Raleigh, North Carolina

I take accounting classes on-line from the University of Phoenix. I don't have to commute or spend time sitting in a classroom, and I can attend class in my pajamas.
Stepheni Davidson
Murrieta, California

My husband and I are retired, so to get out of the house and connect with other women, I joined a quilting group. The time away probably makes me a better companion to my husband, and I bounce creative ideas off my new friends.
Karen Larsen
St. Augustine, Florida

Working as a volunteer on a tall ship gives me time away from daily obligations, keeps me physically fit, and allows me to give back to my community by educating kids and adults about the ship's history, knot tying, and stellar navigation. Because I have to climb to a perch 80 feet above deck, I've also been able to conquer my fear of heights.
Stephanie McClain
Galveston, Texas

When I was pregnant with my second child, it was hard to find time to exercise — which is the best thing I do for myself. So I became a certified fitness instructor. I teach classes during lunch at my company's fitness center. I'm able to stay in shape, I feel great, and I don't have to compromise the time I spend with my children.
Tracy Harlow
Tulsa, Oklahoma