Does it ever occur to you that everything is falling apart? Your morning coffee gets spilled,you are lacking an ironed shirt, your son refuses to put on his shoes, the streets are full of traffic, an important client meeting is forgotten, you mistake your parent-teacher conference time… and you just pray to survive the rest of the day. Sounds familiar? Each one of us has their own version of a nightmare like this, that trims our belief of achieving a work-life balance.

According to Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook current COO) it’s easier to make titibasana than achieve a work-life balance. The authors of alternative concepts of balancing between work, family and yourself, agreeably give a nod of acceptance. Grace Marshall speaks about work-life integrity, with the main point being to avoid conflict between these two spheres of life. In practise it means more self-trust and devoting as much attention to a case as we consider important. Start-up enthusiast, Tyler Ward calls it work-life rhythm, referring to the individual rhythm of life energy. A slightly different approach is presented by work-family enrichment, which focuses on mutual enrichment between professional and private life. All these concepts attempt to capture the optimal approach to time management at work and in our private lives. The bottom line is: the best solution is the one that makes your life simpler and makes you feel good with your everyday choices. I can’t tell you if it’s better to focus on integration or follow your rhythm, but I will gladly share my list of five trusted tips, that helps me to pull a fifth gear when stuff starts to pile up. Check it out below!

1. Less than two minutes? Do it NOW.
2. Know your priorities? That makes it easy!
3. Delegate as much as you can.
4. Chill out with this perfectionism.
5. Relax.

What do you think so far?  Do some of the tips sound too cliche? Or do you already know that half of them won’t work? Ok, let’s take a look at each rule for a second.

Less than two minutes? Do it NOW

During the day there are tens of errands which fall  upon us – we have to buy cocoa for the birthday cake, take a book for Sonia, send a recipe to our mum, pay for the school trip, return some shoes to Zalando, sign up for swimming lessons, send an e-mail to an ex-colleague… Instead of spending time on writing these tasks down in your notepad, phone or your head – just do them. The method is simple: if a specific task takes less than two minutes (you have to be honest here!), do it immediately instead of scheduling it for later (or forgetting!). Having  less to remember brings a lighter, more concentrated mind. Besides, these small achievements provide you with the energy for more demanding challenges.

Know your priorities? That makes it easy!

Does it seem like you are not really sure what is the most important to you? Let me tell you something: you know it, but you often don’t realize it. Let’s think for a second: how would you like to spend your Friday night the most? Learning more about User Experience, improving your left hook in a Muay Thai class or drinking in a bar with some friends? Only you can answer that question– what do you care about the most? If your career is your priority, you will know that sometimes you have to cancel a wine evening with your girlfriends in order to finish a presentation. If you focus on sport, you skip morning gossips in the kitchen and get your things done on time to make it to training after work. Is your social life what you enjoy the most? Awesome – no biggies if you skip that run today! Remember what’s the most important to you, it makes many decisions appear obvious and you will feel more prepared for everyday dilemmas.

Delegate as much as you can

If you’re giving 150% on one front, call for support on the other one. How does it work in real life? It’s very simple! A meeting at work got extended? Ok, let’s order dinner in instead of cooking. Research becomes too time-consuming? Talk to your boss about hiring a part-time intern. No chance to clean the house in time for Saturday’s party? Consider hiring help at home for a couple of hours. Do not try to do everything yourself, you cannot delegate your sleep to anybody and these all-nighters will rear its ugly head sooner or later. Be cool and ask for help when you need it and not when it’s too late. It doesn’t always feel like common sense but people like to be asked for help once in a while. That makes them feel important and needed – I guess all your scruples have now vanished?

Chill out with this perfectionism

Your team powerpoint has to be substantive, don’t waste your time on searching for the perfect background. Chinese or sandwiches for dinner are more than fine, you don’t need to bother making pasta from scratch just because your mum did. Ordering groceries online is not going to be a disaster. A gift for your sister’s birthday can also be ordered online. Yes, including the “pack for a gift” option. Your towels and sports tops don’t need to be ironed, and the house can be vacuumed every second day, not everyday. Try it for a week and see how much time you gain.

Relax

Sleep. Meditate. Lie on the sofa. Bake cakes, read books, watch a series. You’re thinking “I don’t have time to relax” – my answer is “find the time” because it seems that you really need it. When you’re relaxed you’re much more productive, focused and effective, and you often finish the task at hand before the deadline. Give it a go!