Are you frantically busy every day, but somehow feel your life is going nowhere? Don't make the mistake of discounting the effects of overwork; it can take hold slowly and gradually suck you into a downward spiral of exhaustion, stress, and poor health. If you're not exactly thriving on the excitement of your hectic schedule, it may be time to introduce some radical lifestyle changes. One answer could be downshifting – working fewer hours or taking on a lower-level job.

Taking control
More and more employers are developing a wide range of flexible working arrangements and flexible benefit packages. This is because parents of children under six, or of disabled children under 18, have the right to apply to work flexibly – and their employers have a duty to consider their requests. Even if you don't fit into those categories, you can still ask your employer if it is possible to adjust your working pattern.

You could ask for one of the following arrangements:

Part-time work - part-time workers are entitled to the same treatment as full-time employees, including the same hourly pay
Job sharing – this is when two people carry out the duties of a job that would normally be done by one person and divide the pay, holidays and other benefits
Flexitime – this means that employees can vary their starting and finishing times each day, giving people a choice about their actual working hours
Compressed hours – this system involves working a total number of agreed hours over a shorter number of working days
Annualised hours – here you work on the basis of a total number of hours over a year, rather than over a week
Flexible working locations – you can choose to work from home or on the employer's premises.

Research has shown that these types of arrangement are good for both the employer and the employee. The profits of the business increase because the quality of people's work improves and staff benefit from improved self-esteem, health, concentration and confidence.

Other options
If your employer will not or cannot change your working pattern, another option is to ask for a lower-level job. The drop in salary may be worth it if you can work fewer hours or experience a less pressured lifestyle. Just think of the money you'll save on things like ready-cooked meals, babysitters, expensive suits and headache pills.

If all else fails, you may want to consider opting out of your current organisation altogether. Do you really want to continue working for an employer who won't listen to your request for a more balanced lifestyle? Your aim will be to find a better quality of life and to rediscover some of the things that make it all worthwhile.

You could choose one of the following strategies:
Finding a part-time job
Developing a portfolio career
Starting out on your own
Temping

Part-time work
Don't expect to find a part-time job in the situations vacant. The best method is to start by producing a CV that identifies what you have to offer. Then look for companies that traditionally recruit part-time workers. Try to identify employers in your local area – ask friends and colleagues if they know of any suitable opportunities. Then approach companies yourself and inform them about your availability and skills. In this era of downsizing and cost-cutting, many employers are looking for reliable people to provide extra capacity for part of the week. So you have a good chance of being successful if you keep looking.

A portfolio career
Your portfolio can contain many different kinds of work, including salaried work, freelance work and voluntary work. By investing varying amounts of time in the different areas, you can get everything you want out of your professional life – a basic salary, a few luxuries, job satisfaction, security, good company. The key to expanding your portfolio is to identify appropriate markets for your skills. Your income and other rewards can then come from a variety of sources: part-time employment, freelancing, selling things, volunteer work.

Having a number of items in your portfolio gives you security because, if one of them goes, there are always others to fall back on. You could try this approach if you want more money, more freedom, more variety and more flexibility in your life.

Starting your own business
This can be a terrifying prospect for people who are used to having a regular salary and holidays. One way of improving the chances that your business will thrive is to do plenty of preparation and market research. You'll need to develop a business plan and, wherever possible, ask others for help. Remember that a business doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing enterprise. Plenty of people run businesses in a small way while they are employed (maybe part-time) by another organisation. Events organisers, interior designers, furniture restorers, proof readers – all these have been able to pursue their passions by developing mini businesses, rather than full-time ones.

Temping
Nowadays it's not just receptionists and secretaries who find themselves temping – teachers, doctors, managers, accountants, dentists, engineers and social workers do it too. Temping has become more popular and more widespread since the Working Time Directive came into force. The effect of this is that temps are now allowed one week's paid holiday for each 13 weeks' work. You can find temp jobs through high-street or Internet agencies. Once you have registered, just wait until the agency contacts you with a suitable opportunity. However, it's a good idea to keep in touch regularly to remind them that you are still available for work.

When your life is dominated by work, you may fall into the trap of thinking that things can never change, but in reality you do have options. You can choose whether to be in that situation or not, and you can choose the style of work you would rather be in. It's funny how things start happening once you have made a decision to change. Just try it and see what happens!