Maintaining a healthy work-life balance

When a mother returns to work, she has less time for her family, often leaving her feeling stressed at home and at the office.

Karen Kennedy, who recently returned to work, has the following tips on managing time and maintain a healthy work-life balance:

n Delegating anything that can be done by someone else;n Set timetables for chores and activities to ensure they are done efficiently;n Do not procrastinate — deal with tiresome chores;n Allocate more time than you may believe necessary for tasks to ensure they are completed on time and not in a rush;n Make the time to do nothing.

"These are all easier said than done. However, when followed rigorously, they help me to achieve my goals of serving my family, perform well at work and feel calm," Kennedy said.

Returning to work had a minimal effect on Kennedy's relationship with her family because maintain the same routine as when she was at home full-time.

Is it worth returning to work? "Yes, I think [there is] financial gain, stimulation, development if you can get the balance right."