The Job That Doesn’t Come With Lunch Breaks

Back in 2020, when Corona hit, my kids were aged 1½, 4, and 7. I went from having them all out most of the day to suddenly being home 24/7. Overnight, my time, energy, and space were no longer mine. With nowhere to recharge my ‘mum battery’, I quickly realised that if I didn’t create that space for myself, it simply wouldn’t happen.

So I made two house rules:

1. Couch time with coffee = do not disturb. Or as my then toddler put it: “Imma ‘offee? Ooooofffff!” Endless repeats and kid groans later, they all understood it. 

2. No kids on my bed. Especially not feet! At a time when my energy and space felt limited, my bed became my sacred space.

Fast forward to today, and my kids are now 12, 10, and 7. They’re welcome to snuggle in my bed, but my latest rule is that after 8:30 PM, it’s my time. For now, this is what I need to be a better mother. Tomorrow it will be something else, especially as they grow up and their bedtimes will only get later. 

Here’s the biggest truth I’ve learned: 

As a mother, the reality is that only you can give yourself what you really need. 

In Israel, employees get a 30-minute break during a 9-hour workday. But as a mum, you work far longer hours and often without that ‘lunch break’. No one can function 24/7 without rest. Why should motherhood be any different? 

And I haven’t even spoken about your paid job, where it's very common to finish that job and come home to your unpaid one….!

You might even feel guilty for taking that time, and that’s okay. Guilt is just a feeling; you don’t have to believe what it tells you. The more you give yourself what you need, the less power guilt will have on you. Even a few quiet moments can restore calm, clarity, and patience, helping you show up the way you truly want to.

One overwhelmed client shared:

“There’s always a list of things I have to do… the anxiety is never quiet.”

Her assignment that week was to do something just for herself. So she went out with friends, and afterwards, she said:

“I realized there are things I can control and give myself. Instead of criticizing myself, I put energy into filling myself up. I felt less frazzled, less angry, and happier overall.” 

Creating space for yourself reduces stress, lets you come back to your family recharged, more patient, and more like yourself again.

Try it this week: Schedule something for yourself in your diary (literally, as if it is a doctor’s appointment that you wouldn’t want to miss!) and when you come back to your family,  notice the difference.