For most of us, daily demands leave little true "me-time," when one can let go and just revel in the joy of being alive, the here and now. From the moment we awaken until the moment when we drift off to sleep, our minds are constantly racing ahead, trying to cram in just a little more into the day in the hopes of getting a little free time later - the "later" that somehow never becomes "now."

Reclaiming your oases of personal space can become reality with some planning, and you can use these mini-breaks to keep you vital and charged so your productivity actually increases the rest of the time.

Here are some of our favorite ways to create these oases:

1. When better to break the shackles than right when you wake up? Trade in your strident alarm or your DJ for the melodious, soothing chime of a zen clock. And when you open your eyes, spend three to five minutes taking deep, long breaths. Focus only on your breath and you'll feel yourself relaxed and ready for the day instead of anxious and irritable when you spring out of bed.

2. Take a little walk in the morning: not a stroll, but a brief walk to work or from the furthest corner of the parking lot or to the end of the block and back-something that gives you three to five minutes in the open air (and hopefully the morning sunlight) before you start your work day or your morning chores or school. As you walk, take in the sights and sounds of your immediate environment, and hum your favorite uplifting melody. Music has a way of lifting the spirits, especially when combined with soothing repetitive movement, as in walking.

3. Trade in the mid-morning cup of coffee for a hot fruit-and-spice herb tea. Sip it away from your work area and away from other folks, in silence. Shut your eyes between sips and focus on your breath. It's amazing how five minutes of silence can help you regain your equanimity and your focus.

4. After lunch, go outside for a few minutes. Ayurvedic healers highly recommend a few minutes of silent rest after the mid-day meal. If there's a fountain nearby, sit down by it: the sound of flowing water is an instant calming experience. Blooming trees, a bed of perennials, the ocean, a quiet park bench: anything calming will help rejuvenate you for the rest of the day.

5. Before bed, massage a little fragrant oil onto your lower arms and legs. Choose a light oil that won't stain your bed linens and work in long rhythmic strokes. You'll get the benefit of massage therapy and aroma therapy and a few minutes of blissful quiet, to wind down before you turn the lights out.

Make these mini-breaks a habit, and by maximizing the benefit from the breaks with quiet, calming activities and silence, you can slowly accumulate significant benefit for body, mind, and spirit.