Juggling Modern Life: Let's Get Back to a Simpler Time

Man, has life been busy lately. Are you all feeling it? Like time is starting to move faster and we are being forced to keep up, like it or not? With juggling work, kids, husband, family, friends, animals and house - I've been feeling a little spent lately and finding it hard to find balance (and keep up with blog posts!).
All of this has been making me contemplate why have we made our lives this way?
In the days of my grandparents and their parents, extended families lived more communally. They often shared a home, or at least shared the same land with more than one home. They shared chores, prepared meals together and helped each other to rear their children. They sustained themselves as a group. When and why did this all change? When did we decide it was a good idea to break off and create the nuclear family? It just makes no sense to me.
Economically, it costs more as everyone is purchasing their own separate needs rather than sharing. Physically, it is definitely more work as everyone is caring for their own individual homes, yards and chores. Emotionally, it seems to me is the hugest impact. While a tight family unit is surely a good thing, many off us have lost the closeness that we used to have with our extended family. Our separation and busy schedules don't allow for it. It's just so sad to me.
Maybe it is for this reason that we are starting to connect more in groups focused on community and sustainability? Perhaps we are moving more toward the old model as more of us realize that the way we are doing it now is not working. I'm hopeful that this is the case. Let's get back to a simpler time. But couldn't we just speed it up a bit? LOL!
How do you find balance in your modern life?