There’s no doubt about it – the world feels like it’s spinningout of control when it comes to finding time to harmoniouslybalance the demands of home, work, school and family. It seems thatwith every advance in technology, the opportunity to be tagged bysomeone else’s demands grows more frequent.

Gone are the days when someone would tell you they were mailingyou something (like a bill) and you knew you had at least severaldays before you had to worry about acting on it. Now, withtechnology functioning at hyperactive speeds, it seems that e-billsare debiting bank accounts quicker than account holders can logon.

So how do you slow things down to a pace that will allow you toat least catch your breath between tasks? Here are a few tips toconsider:

* Contrary to popular opinion, watching television for a brieftime each day can actually be beneficial. If you know that laughterhelps you de-stress, but you’re typically too busy Wednesday nightsto watch that comedy that makes you cry laughing tears, then whynot record it to watch when it’s more convenient? With advances incable and satellite television technology, like the ones offered atDirect StarTV, you can record television shows to watch on your timetable,not someone else’s. That act alone – taking control of your owntime – can work wonders to reduce stress levels and add balance tothe household.

* You’ve heard the concept of multitasking, right? Well, howabout taking that concept to a level beyond professional time andbudget management. If you don’t know about “bundling,” it’s a termthat means saving money in a multitasking-inspired way. Just as youcan save money by bundling all your family members on one gymmembership, you can save money and time by bundling some of yourhome’s technology needs on one plan. Using Direct Star as anexample again, you can purchase your Internet service, televisionservice and phone service from them and reduce monthly expenses.You probably will agree that saving money alone can serve as amajor stress reducer, not to mention the time you’ll save by payingone bill instead of three (or more). Visit www.directstartv.com for moreinformation about this useful bundling plan and time saver.

* The concept of bundling services can be transferred to thenotion of bundling your interfamily communications, as well. Bymaking sure that you use group e-mail blasts and texting to allfamily members, you’ll be assured that Cody knows he needs to pickup Britt after school, and Britt knows that she should look for hiscar instead of her sister’s in the parking lot. And should Codybreak down en route and group text the whole family, everyone willknow to revert to Plan B with one simple communication. Likewise,if you bundle (or group) text your spouse to pick up pork chops onthe way home, the whole family will know what to expect for dinnerand will plan their afternoon snacking around that useful piece ofinformation (or make sure Cosmo the Collie is nearby if pork chopshappen to be on Cody’s list of least favorite meals).

Light-heartedness aside, you get the idea to start thinking in amultipronged way when it comes to managing your time. To doanything less than that means you might be more likely than ever tobe tagged — yet again — by lightning-fast advances intechnology.