Women — Ever wish there was a week dedicated just for you? There is!

National Women's Health Week is a weeklong observance coordinated by the US Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health. The week, which begins on Mother's Day, May 9th, is dedicated to empower women to make their health a top priority. This year's theme is "It's Your Time," encouraging women to celebrate themselves and take simple steps for a longer, healthier life.

1. Get at least 2.5 hours of moderate physical activity each week (30 minutes a day/five days a week).
Yes, I know this seems to be asking a lot of most working mothers. But honestly, finding a way to carve out 30 minutes of "me" time for your health really should be a top priority. Physical inactivity has been called the biggest health threat, leading not only to many chronic diseases (obesity, diabetes, heart disease, to name a few) but also puts you at a higher risk for a premature death. Regular exercise is also good for the mind. It is not only a great stress reliever, but also increases blood flow to the brain, improving cognition and memory.

Debbie Dragon offers great tips on How to Make Exercise a Part of Your Daily Routine.

2. Eat a nutritious diet.
Again, sometimes it is easier just to run through a drive-through or pick up a pre-packaged meal from the closest grocery store. (See: Should you Stop Eating Canned Foods?) But planning a healthy meal does not have to be time-consuming or full of expensive, hard-to-find ingredients. What has worked for me is to keep a rotation list of several easy to cook recipes that my family loves and making a grocery list that follows the order of the aisles in the grocery store. When I was really dedicated, I created my menus using the Sunday or Wednesday supermarket circulars to take advantage of sales or coupons that I had, saving both time and money.

Read more on Encouraging Kids to Eat Fruits and Vegetables by Camilla Cheung.

3. Visit a health care professional to receive regular checkups and preventive screenings.
How often have you forgone a regular check up because you "felt fine"? Remember that many health problems often have no symptoms early on, so regular doctor visits can catch any issues at an earlier stage before they become big problems. May 10th is National Women's Checkup Day. Put a reminder for yourself in your calendar to make any needed health appointments.

Visit WomensHealth.gov to learn when you should receive certain tests, such as bone density tests and mammograms.

4. Avoid risky behaviors, such as smoking and not wearing a seatbelt.
According to the American Lung Association, "quitting smoking is the single most important step one can take to improve the length and quality of his or her life." There are many resources available to help with the effort. n fact, the ALA recently launched "The Quitter in You," which can help with online support and group clinics. Also, at that health appointment you just made (!), talk with your doctor about the best method for you, whether it be medication, patch, nicotine gum, or counseling.

Along with seatbelt safety is avoiding distracted driving, defined as taking your hands of the wheel or your mind off of what you are doing, due to cell phones, eating or drinking, talking to passengers/kids, grooming, or changing the radio station or CD. According to statistics, around 500,000 are injured and 6,000 others are killed due to distracted driving. Take care of yourself and all of your precious cargo by staying attentive while in the car.

Check out Deanna Franklin Campbell's Still Waiting to Quit Smoking?

3. Pay attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress.
There have been many studies in recent months about the importance of getting enough sleep. Chronic sleep loss has been linked to obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes, heart disease, and early onset dementia. Some of the other health tips can lead to a better night's sleep. Exercise is great for improving the quality of sleep and increasing daytime psychological functioning. Eating better is also associated with decreasing sleep issues, especially when they promote weight loss that decreases incidences of sleep apnea. And time management and setting priorities can help you cognitively be ready to sleep when your head hits the pillow.

Read Fred Lee's Sleep and Longevity.

So tell your wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunts, cousins, and girlfriends to celebrate National Women's Health Week and make themselves a priority (for once).