Balancing work with family, friends and even personal time is an arduous task. It may seem like there are not enough hours in the day, but I believe the key to balancing life is to be convinced that there are more than enough hours in the day to accomplish what you want.

A way to do this is to factor recreational time into your schedule. My reason for this is simple: you will look forward to that date or friends night out at the local bar and afterwards feel motivated to get back into your daily routine. You may also be more productive leading up to the planned off time. Research shows that having something to look forward to that you’ve penciled into your calendar will make you feel less guilty when you may think about all the other things you could be doing instead.

Having a schedule can work wonders, but only if you plan on sticking to it. Once you write out your weekly activities you will find that you can concentrate more on things related to your professional or school life if you allow yourself downtime in between. Work and play are more intermingled than you think, allow yourself some downtime to regenerate so you can continue to keep your eye on the ball afterwards.