Things that Help Me Keep my Sanity

As with most people these days, my life tends to feel more than a little insane at times.  We get so busy and it can make us feel frantic and chaotic, to say the least.  So, I have developed a few strategies that help me keep a little more sane, that help me feel a little more in control.  Here, in no particular order, are the ones I can think of off the top of my head:

1. Notebook and Pen at my Bedside.  Seriously.  This helps me in a couple of ways.  (A) I am the type who will stay up for hours worrying over something.  And if I lose sleep worrying, I find it much harder to get those things I was so worried about done.  So, I have pen and paper beside me at night so I can jot down things that I worry I will forget in the morning.  If I do this, I am usually able to get to sleep.  I may not remember to look first thing in the morning but when that feeling that I forgot some eventually starts creeping up on me, I will go to my room and look to see what I've forgotten.  It makes life much easier. (B)  I often get creative urges in the middle of the night.  It'd be really nice if I could get up and just go create, but usually that makes me a grumpy, unpleasant Mommy in the morning, and I really don't want to be that kind of mom.  If I can write my creative ideas down, I usually (but not always) can recapture that thought/idea/etc. at a later time IF I can remember it.  Which is what my pen and paper are for.  I can write down thoughts I want to flesh out later or I can do a very rough sketch of something I want to draw or paint.
2. Lists.  My husband laughs at my lists, but really, they are how I relate best to things I need to do.  I feel very satisfied when I can check items off my "to do" list.  While I know upkeep on my lists takes some additional time during my day, having a list does help me keep on track and remember all it is that I have to remember.
3. Spot Cleaning.  Ideally, every other week (if not every week), I would dust, sweep, vacuum, mop, and rub down every inch of the house to keep it spotless.  The reality is that with two children and busy schedules, I'm lucky to get it all done once a month.  However, there are certain areas that get especially dirty/germy.  The rooms we spend the most time in get a lot more "yuck" going on than the rooms we wander into (and often store things in) but rarely sit down in.  So, I concentrate my cleaning efforts on the kitchen, the bathrooms, the beds (we don't spend a lot of time in other areas of the bedrooms), the dining area, and the family room. Yes, other rooms get my attention, just not as frequently.  In this way, I keep the most important areas from becoming too grimy without going insane trying to keep on top of everything.  

What about you?  What tips do you have to try to keep on top of your hectic life?