Mom of twin boys says this keeps her stress, anxiety under control

A mother of adult twins says she finally found the secret to zen: it's a beach a few minutes away from her home. 

While the destination is serine, there's nothing magical about this particular beach. Standing on the pier doesn't make every parent's problems instantly go away. But, for Cynthia Robinson, senior operations editor at USA TODAY, it's an escape. 

Robinson goes to North Beach, Md., to pray, meditate and collect her thoughts when she's overwhelmed.

"As mothers, besides the day-to-day things we have to do for ourselves, we take on our children's problems as well and it can be stressful," Robinson said. "You have to find a way to manage that."

The beach is her happy place, something she wishes she found when she was a young mother of two crying babies.  

In those days, a 30-minute trip might have been impossible, but there are other ways to find zen, she says:

1. Read a novel

2. Light a candle or diffuse essential oils

3. Have a glass of wine, a cocktail or a beer

"Find that thing that you love to do and find time to do it," she said. "You have to find time for yourself. If you're not healthy, you cannot be healthy for the ones that are around you, that need you the most."

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Mom Bod is a USA TODAY video series featuring tips from moms on fitness, nutrition and mental health. The goal? Let's be real about the struggle to "healthy" and learn to love our mom bods.