Remember the good old days when time moved slowly?

Truth is, you were probably a child when time moved this slowly.

Adults managed most of your responsibilities. You could relax, take a break here and there, and smell the roses.

These days, it's likely you keep the whole family scurrying around in a mad rush. And, at work, you might keep employees furiously hopping.

The real kicker in this busyness, however, is that relationships are falling apart. Families report more and more stress. Employees in more work settings report they are overly stressed and stay upset with co-workers.

Until people regain time to think, decompress and solve problems, everybody and everything will suffer.

"My doctor is so stressed, he called in the wrong prescription for me," one woman told us. "I took the stuff, and it nearly killed me. It reacted with my heart medication."

When she confronted her doctor, he told her he'd been busy helping with three charity events. He hadn't slept two hours straight in days.

"I would have sued him," she said, "but he's my good friend and neighbor. I told him that he'd better reclaim some time for himself. Otherwise, he was going to do some real harm."

Her point is well-taken. When anyone gives up enough time, this will cause a ripple effect and people will bear the brunt of the craziness. Sometimes, we can hurt ourselves, too.

Consider the fellow who worked two jobs for five years. He now has cancer, and it looks as if he isn't going to live long.

He stressed himself out for years, trying to get ahead, although he fully knew that stress is considered a catalyst for physical disease.

"I worked to give my family a bigger house," he lamented to us. "Now, they'll have to live there without me. I wish I could undo the last five years of my life. I'd be relaxing at a fishing hole two afternoons each week."

Slack time in everyone's schedules will help to put the balance back into our world.

Think about this "ideal" situation for a working family: