Ten things I do every day to maintain my physical and emotional health. Or, if I don’t do ALL of them, I do MOST of them. You know, depending on the day. They’re incredibly easy and incredibly effective. When I find myself out of balance, at any time of the day, I whip out one of these methods to re-balance myself.

In no particular order…

1. Get down on the floor with my dog and RUB HER BELLEH.

2. Drink a glass of chocolate milk (or chocolate Silk, which is excellent over ice).

3. Listen to a current favorite song, loudly, and on repeat if necessary. Follow the impulse to sing and/or dance if needed.

4. Call my husband for no particular reason.

5. Look out a window for five solid minutes. Which is a long time, when you’re just standing there and people are looking at you. And then they come and stand next to you, trying to figure out what the heck you’ve been looking at for so long. Look enigmatic and mysterious. It can only benefit your reputation.

6. Take a break for tea and honey.

7. Snuggle whichever cat is in the mood for it. (Usually Zoe.)

8. Take a 30 minute nap, immediately followed by a tall glass of water. (A “nap hangover” is caused by dehydration, and by forcing yourself to sleep longer than your body deems necessary.)

9. Breathe deeply from the balsam fir sachets from LL Bean that reside on my desk. Or the lilac candle. Basically, smell good-smelling things.

10. Stretch, and take ten long, long, looong lung-filling/lung-emptying breaths.

What are YOUR ten things?