I'm a mom of 11. Here are 5 ways I make time for myself throughout the week.

With this many kids, I can't just wing it.

One evening a week, I sit down by myself with my planner and phone and start making notes. I look over the week and jot down any upcoming appointments. I also review my deadlines, potential outings, and anything else that's looming.

By putting these events in my planner, I make my week visual — I can tell at a glance which days might be crazier than normal. Armed with that knowledge, I try to smooth things out proactively.

For example, I might write a freelance article a couple of days in advance to avoid a potential bottleneck. Or I'll pencil in an easy dinner for the kids to make on the day we're driving two hours to take our child with Angelman Syndrome to an appointment with a specialist.

Unexpected events still happen and the week might not go as planned, but this system has helped greatly.

Although I spend much of my kids' quiet time working on my freelance business, I try to dedicate about 15 minutes each day to relaxing.

While my youngest two fall asleep and the other kids get settled, I make a cup of tea and grab something to read. I subscribe to a few magazines, and this is my go-to time for reading an article or two. Plus, it helps me stretch out each issue.

Once my articles are read and my tea is gone, I boot up my computer and start working.

Sometimes you just need to clear your mind. There are many different ways to do that, but one of my favorites is by walking our slackline, which is created by flat webbing tensely suspended between two anchor points, like trees.

When you have to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other to keep your balance, there's little room for other thoughts. If my mind drifts, I start to wobble, and since I don't want to fall, that's my motivation to stay focused.

Anytime I'm feeling unusually stressed or anxious, I head to the backyard and work my way across the line. It only takes a few minutes, so it's an easy way to get a quick mental break.

I enjoy taking walks with my family — unplugging and heading outside is good for all of us — but I take at least one solo trek each week.

I love walking down by the lake in our community, and I usually use this time to do some thinking and goal-setting.

When I return, I'm relaxed and ready to tackle the rest of the day.

When you run your own business, boundaries are essential. One of mine is that, unless unusual circumstances arise, I don't work on weekends. This way, my husband and I can enjoy an at-home date night nearly every week.

After the kids are in bed, I prepare food for us. Some weeks it's popcorn, other times, I'll cook up steak and baked potatoes. This week, I made homemade onion rings.

Once the food is ready, we enjoy it while chatting. Then we watch an episode of TV or a movie together.