Your energy reserves, motivation and self-discipline are not infinite resources. They can be depleted. But the good news is that if you take well timed breaks, top up your joy for life and spend time with the people you care about, you can greatly reduce the risk of chronic stress, illness and burnout.

Taking time out for yourself is not a luxury, its not selfish and you should never feel guilty about it. As the old saying goes, you cannot serve anyone when your own cup is empty.

Time for yourself doesn’t need to be a massive, expensive undertaking. It can be drinking a cup of tea in your garden, reading a book, going for a run or a phone call with a friend. Something simple, meaningful and manageable!

These activities should be seen as maintenance, which is good for your mental wellbeing and your performance. Taking time out helps you to reset, get perspective, be more patient, creative and gives you the energy to tackle that massive to-do list.

And I hear you…I am a working mum, when exactly am I supposed to find this time?

Honest answer is you need to make time. And you usually need these breaks the most, when you least feel like you can afford to do it. But you NEED to! Schedule time into your diary, start with 10 minutes!

A healthy mind, body and spirit are the most important factors that you can bring into any business or family. You owe it to yourself and those you care about and work with, to bring your best self to the table every day and this means that sometimes you need to set boundaries, ask for help or be assertive about what you need.

So, the call to action is, add yourself onto that to-do list and reframe it as a ‘to-YOU-list’

Find something small to look forward to, this can be daily, weekly or monthly. This will help you get through the tough times. It will also help you find joy and appreciate your own life more.

It won’t always be easy, but I assure you that it will be worth it!