Be clear Miscommunication can be time-consuming. Be as clear as you can when you communicate, and learn how to be a good listener as well. Take notes if you need to.

Don’t feel guiltyIt’s okay for men and women to have jobs and a family. Don’t have a work guilt at home or a family guilt at work.

Me timeFind some time for yourself each day. Set aside time for something you enjoy, like walking, working out, listening to music or just taking a nice bath.

Me time with othersFind some time each week to do something you enjoy with your spouse or friends. Find things you can do together like golfing, fishing, going to the movies, dinner, etc.

Make your time off a priorityTry to get some of your household duties done during the week so you can spend more time relaxing on your days off.

SleepThere’s nothing like a good night’s sleep. Get it, you need it. The time you spend staying up way too late, or getting up too early, to get things done can eventually be lost correcting all the mistakes you make when you’re too sleepy.

Make friendsMake sure your support group is always growing. Trusted friends and relatives can help you out in a pinch.

So what to do... Here are some ideas you can use to strike a better balance:

Keep trackFirst, assess the situation. Write down everything you do for a week - both work and non-work related. From there, decide what stays, goes or gets delegated.

Look at your optionsYour employer may offer flex hours, job-sharing or a shortened work week. Check it out and find ways to be flexible.

Learn to say no It’s alright to say no. Assess each situation for time and value, and if you need to say no, do it respectfully. Most people will respect that you are honest and say no rather than taking something on and falling further behind.

Separate work and homeThe lines between work and home are getting blurrier with today’s technology and the ability for anyone to find you anywhere. Draw the line. Make a conscious choice to turn off cell phones and your computer at home.

Organize your household tasksInstead of doing all your chores on one day, do a little at a time over several days. If you go a few days without making a bed, it’s not the end of the world. Make a family calendar of to-dos and important events. It’s good practice to anticipate deadlines at home, too.

What is work life balance?We can’t equally divide our time between our work and our personal life. Our personal life often depends on work and work often cuts into our personal time. Finding the right balance between the two is key. Think about the fact that some days you’ll need to spend more time at work and some days you’ll spend more time on your personal life - hopefully it will even out and create some balance.

We’re all busy. Here’s a few tips on keeping it all together!

How cr eate to

Balance a Better