"Are you like a duck?" asked author Mary Ellen Edmunds. You may look calm on the surface, but you're paddling like crazy underneath.

Even with the best intentions, she said, "families can become overextended physically, emotionally, financially, socially and in other ways." And that can leave you feeling exhausted, empty, discouraged and even physically sick.

"What could you do, if you had 10 more hours each month? Would that help?" she asked.

The ways we use our time become increasingly challenging in this busy, busy age, she pointed out, but some simple ideas can make a big difference:

Get up 10 minutes earlier. Just 10 minutes a day will add up to five extra hours a month.

Make regular appointments with yourself. "What do you need to do for yourself? Make a formal appointment with yourself to do it. That way if anyone asks you to do something else, you can honestly say, 'I can't, I've got an appointment.' "

Leave earlier for places that you need to be. That way you will not become stressed if you become stuck in traffic. Take a book or a project along with you; if you get there early, you can work on that. Or, just use the time for thinking, pondering, planning. That can be very helpful, said Edmunds.

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Say no when you need to. We all would like to be able to do everything we are asked, but it's not always possible — or sensible. If nothing else, she said, you can always say, " 'I would, if I could, but I just can't.' You don't need any other explanation."

Cut down or cut out the things that are stealing your time. "Time is life. You want to receive an investment on your time, not just let it disappear," said Edmunds. Take a look at things that take lots of time with little benefit. For example, "I used to think e-mail was such a wonderful timesaver. Now, I look at all the time I waste with e-mails I don't want."

Let others help. A lot of people might be willing and able to provide assistance.

Practice gratitude and acceptance. A lot of time and effort can be lost through "affluenza — the bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses." Don't catch it, advises Edmunds. "Instead, learn what contentment feels like."

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