You know you have techno-stress when you can't keep up with newspapers and letters that arrive at work and home. Cell phones ringing in restaurants make you want to scream and your workload continues to mount as you are available 24 hours a day anywhere on the planet.

Welcome to the age of technology. An age where computers and gadgets should free up our time but seem to rule us instead.

Recent news stories have focused on the PDA - the Blackberry as the 'Crack-berry'. This was first mentioned by L.A. Times reporter, Joe Robinson, author of Work To Live. He mentioned the addiction to this portable digital assistant as being similar to the feelings that a drug addict has to crack. Once a person uses this device, they can't stop checking emails, phoning, writing and fidgeting with it.

Some business people go on vacation and 'bring their office' with them. Is it any wonder they burn out?

If you think I'm cutting down technology, you've missed the finely pixilated point - these gadgets are great and can save us time, money and help us find information. The trick is to control them - not have them control us.

"How do we do that? Create a set of techno-rules for home and the office."

Try this:

Take out a sheet of paper and quickly write down your biggest time wasters. These might include: email and spam sorting, fax machines, too much time on the Internet, too much time to print a report, the list is endless...

Next, try these rules to introduce simplicity into your life.