Do you talk to yourself? Psychologists Diane H. Dillon, Ph.D. and Bethany E. Casarjian, Ph.D. say doing so can really help moms conquer stress, fatigue, and even boredom. In their book, Mommy Mantras: Affirmations and Insights to Keep You from Losing Your Mind, they write about the power of simple phrases and the Zen-like coaching moms can do for themselves in moments of frustration or fury.

A mantra is really just a few words that can help reframe a situation. Something as easy to remember as, "This feeling is temporary," which can serve as a reminder that "no matter how bad or strong a feeling is during this particular moment, rest assured, it will start to shift as soon as we experience it," they write.

"Life is really intense and mothering is really intense and we all get sucked into the dark place from time to time," explains Casarjian, a mom of three and the clinical director of the National Emotional Literacy Project for Youth at Risk. A mantra, she says, "is a call to come back to the inner core, the place that is always there that we all sort of get pulled away from when you have screaming babies."

Dillon, a mother of two and the director of the Child Study Team at the School at Columbia University, tells The Well Mom, the phrase "Breathe Now" is her secret weapon.

"Rather than have whatever reaction I am about to have, taking a breath and the five extra seconds it can bring to slow my breathing down and reflect...is huge," she says.

Occasionally, The Well Mom will feature the Buddhist-inspired Mommy Mantras from Dillon and Casarjian's book.

So this month, if you are in the midst of sleep training, in the throes of a toddler tantrum or doing your hundredth load of laundry for the week, try this: BREATHE NOW!

What are the mantras you use to get through they day? Share them with The Well Mom: heather@thewellmom.com