Happy and healthy relationships take work. It doesn’t happen naturally in our hectic day-to-day lives. You have to work  it out.

In the last few weeks I have had the good blessing to talk with musicians, religious and family and friends. They have repeated what makes for great relationships and keeps them in balance.  Our lives suffer when we don’t have good relationships either spiritually or emotionally. We need to figure out how to Work it Out!

There are things that we can do that will make our world a better place if we try. One of those things is strengthening the ties of our family and friends. Yes, we all have family issues from time to time that do not necessarily work well.

A family often is a group of people who come to live together as well. They could be defined as close friends or co- workers. These 8 steps should help you immensely.

Schedule in  time. Schedule something big for all to do, like a day trip, a  baseball game or basketball game, an outing to a free museum. Send an outlook invite or an e- card. Make it a big deal. t on the calendar that hangs on the refrigerator.

Do family responsibilities together. Set a weekly time to either have the chores completed or do the chores. This gives your some flexibility for  scheduling.

Take time out for yourself. Even the Department of Labor requires companies to give two 10-minute breaks during a work day. Shouldn’t you do the same?  Remember it’s not meant to be easy, but any problems you have will have been overcome by many parents before you. Search them out to use as a sounding board. Working and bringing up children often is challenging. During the tough times, remember and focus on why you made this choice. There will inevitably be conflicts between work and family responsibilities, so prepare as much as possible. Build up your support network, emergency funds, and your own energy. Use effective coping strategies and don’t put impossible pressure on yourself. Plan ahead, get help when you need it, and look for creative solutions.