Everyday, millions of Americans try to figure out the best ways to make both their personal and professional lives run a little more smoothly. For some, it’s much more difficult than expected; those who work long hours are forced to let housework go and often can’t spend as much time with their children as they’d like. This imbalance in both aspects of life can lead to stress, anxiety, and even depression and can cause issues at work or in personal relationships.

Fortunately, there are several ways you can easily balance your professional and personal life. The key is to get organized and look for ways to rearrange your schedule that works for you. It’s also a good idea to think of ways you can ask for help–by hiring a professional or opening up to your boss about your workload, for instance–and learn how to manage your time more efficiently.

Here are a few of the best tips on hacking your personal and professional lives to make things run a little more smoothly.

Try something new

If you’re feeling stagnant in your career or are just growing bored with the day-to-day responsibilities, consider trying something new. It could be something as small as rearranging your office for better productivity or something as big as learning a new language to better communicate with your customer base. Think of ways you can make changes to open up your professional world for the better.

Ask for help

Sometimes it’s easy to get overwhelmed with responsibilities, but there’s no shame in asking for help. Hire someone to come in and clean your home or office once a month, consider looking for an assistant who can help you get organized either personally or professionally, and pare down your responsibilities by offloading tasks you don’t necessarily need to be in charge of.

Streamline your process

Finding ways to streamline your methods can help both at work and at home. For instance, at work you may need to fast track an idea that requires a business loan. While most people would shudder or panic at the thought, do your research ahead of time and know exactly where to start. For example, instead of choosing a bank in the dark, consider starting with a list of the best local banks to work with specifically for business. This is a great way to get the process started – and continue moving – more quickly.

Stay healthy

It may not seem like a life hack at all, but in actuality, keeping up with your health can have major effects on your productivity and your ability to handle stress. Eating a balanced diet, getting daily exercise, getting plenty of sleep, and setting up regular checkups with your doctor can go a long way towards helping you feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally, which can have far-reaching consequences in all aspects of your life.

Learn to multitask

“In a multitask environment, workflow is being driven by the environment, rather than being internally driven. In a very real sense, the squeaky wheel gets the grease,” says cognitive psychologist Art Markman.

While some will argue that multitasking divides your attention too much, there are ways to effectively work on more than one task. One of the best ways to do this is to keep a list of all the items that need to be taken care of, and organize them by priority. Check them off as you accomplish each one; staying organized will help your brain make better connections.

Manage your screen time

Social media can be a great way to keep up with friends and stay informed, but it can also be a huge time-suck. Be careful about the way you manage your time online, especially if you have a smartphone, as this can drag you down during the day and keep your focus off what really matters. Establish a daily allotted amount of time to spend on social media (that isn’t work- or marketing-related) and set an alarm if you have to so that you know when your time is up. Then make yourself turn off the screen and dig into more pressing matters.

Balancing your home and work life can be even more difficult if you are self-employed or work from your house, but taking steps to create a good plan will help you stay organized and will keep you on track no matter what comes your way. Start by writing out a list of the areas that could use some work, then set realistic goals.

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