Your work is already time-consuming enough if you just consider the eight hours you spend in the office. Add to that the time you spend commuting and it becomes the highlight of your day. The problems might not be apparent at first, but if you’ve noticed your partner commenting about barely seeing you, that’s a sign that your busy schedule is starting to affect your relationship.

You shouldn’t have to sacrifice your relationship for work. Here’s how to beat the traffic to save some time for the important people in your life:

Take Advantage of Flexible Work Schedules

Some companies allow employees to have flexible working hours. This can save you some time on the road if you can beat the rush-hour traffic. For instance, instead of being on the road along with most of the population to reach the office at nine in the morning, you can move to an earlier or later schedule. Leaving office an hour earlier may give you time to catch up with your partner instead of being too exhausted to spend quality time in the evening. On the other hand, if you leave home later, you’ll have a more relaxed morning where you and your partner can talk about your plans for the day.

Carpool

One of the reasons for traffic congestion is the number of cars on the road. You can eliminate one car by carpooling with others. You can choose to be the driver and save some money in the process, but if you prefer to be a passenger, you’ll have the time in the car to do other tasks that will further save you time later. You can answer your emails and even replenish your supply of face mask online. You can also pay bills online, which is not advisable if you’re on public transport because of the security risks associated with opening your accounts in the presence of strangers. Your time spent carpooling can also be a time to do your makeup, which means you can wake up later but still show up in the office in your best look.

Practice Efficiency

The eight hours you spend in the office might not be enough to get all tasks done–if you’re easily distracted by every little noise you hear. You end up working overtime just to have the same output. If you can improve your efficiency, you won’t have to work beyond those eight hours, which means you have more time to spend with your partner. It’s even better if you can finish more tasks in the same timeframe so you can leave early if the office allows it. Getting all your tasks done also assures you will not bring work home, especially on weekends. In some jobs, working overtime cannot be avoided, but do your best to leave your weekends free from work and spend it only with the people who are important to you.

You won’t have to worry about your relationship ending in shambles if you learn to manage your time properly. Just because you have a stressful job doesn’t mean you have no time for anything else.