Live Simply - or Simply Live

Most Americans lead complicated lives in an increasingly complex world. The complications arise from a combination of balancing home and work lives while navigating through a maze of finances, meeting family needs, coping with the pressures of work, running errands, meetings, and taking care of personal needs, which tends to take the lowest priority. People wake up each morning and hit the floor running until they collapse in bed at the end of the day, wondering where the day went and not quite sure how they got through everything done. In reflection, the question might be better posed by asking - why can't life be a little simpler?

Does that description of weekday life sound familiar? If it does, you're one of many people in America that go through similar gauntlets every day of the week. However, there are several steps you can take - at work and at home - to simplify life and reduce the stress and complication of your day.

At Work

Today's work world is complicated and time starved. Here are several suggestions to make better use of your work time and also reduce some of the stress.

1. Delegate. If you're in a position where you can delegate non-essential tasks to peers or your employees - do it. This will free you up to take on the more important tasks of the day.

2. Block out uninterrupted time during the day to take care of phone calls. If you do not have an office with a door that can be closed, find a quiet office area where you won't be interrupted.

3. Learn to say "No." One of the hardest things for most people to do is say "No" to requests at work. Taking on extra tasks or projects is one of the biggest reasons that employees get overloaded and overwhelmed. Develop a diplomatic and to the point way of declining additional work you are unable to take on.

4. Learn to scan and eliminate unnecessary emails by title and sender, preferably in the morning - without reading them. A lot of the email you receive is redundant and unrelated to your job. Determining what email is important and what will save you time.

5. Respond to important email the same day. This gets the issue off your desk and out of the way.

6. Go through your mail each morning and set aside important mail to be read and acted on and discard the junk. Mail should only be looked through once.

7. Take care of priority items in the morning and set aside afternoons for meetings and less important tasks whenever possible.

At Home

Unfortunately, home doesn't take care of itself and the stress isn't confined to work. The same concepts that apply at work can also be adapted to home life, too.

1. Everyone in a family that is able to contribute to keeping the household going should have tasks given to them. Children are perfectly capable of helping by performing tasks like taking out the trash, doing laundry, cleaning house and keeping their rooms in order. Both spouses are equally responsible for maintaining the household, as well.

2. Arrange errands and transporting children in a route that uses your time efficiently. By planning your route ahead, the job of running errands and/or transporting children can be done in and organized way that saves time and gas.

3. Limit the number of extra-curricular activities your children take on. It's probably less stressful for them and definitely for you.

4. Make time for yourself. Whether it's a workout, time with friends or quiet time with a book, allow yourself time each day to do something for you.

5. Keep on learning to say "No." The demands of home are just as rigorous as work's demands. Saying no to volunteering your time for projects the community groups you belong to are working on is another way to reduce the pressure of managing your time - especially when the extra time simply isn't there. The same use of the word "no" applies to family members. Your children will survive not taking on that extra activity.

6. Plan - and even prepare - meals ahead of time. The end of the day is hectic enough without having to fixing dinner. Also remember that eating out, while more expensive, is another option at the end of a busy day. Eating right is important to maintain your health, which in turn, helps you cope with life.

7. Get plenty of sleep. While everyone's sleep needs are different, most experts recommend at least seven, and preferably eight to ten hours of sleep a day. While shorting yourself on sleep may work in the short run, it will catch up with you and leave more vulnerable to the stresses and constant demands of home and work.

Life is hard. The pace and demands placed on 21^st century Americans is constantly increasing, with no let up in sight. Each individual has to develop his or her own strategies for coping with and managing the responsibilities and expectations that come with family and employers. In order to take care of family and work, you must develop ways to take care of yourself first