When you’re self-employed, work and life tend to blur together. There’s no clocking out, no office to leave behind—just an endless to-do list and the nagging feeling that if you could be working, you should be working.
For years, Sundays were my day off. It felt natural. The world slowed down, emails stopped, and I could step away from my business without guilt. I’d cook, garden, and genuinely enjoy the day. But when I changed my trading hours to Wednesday–Sunday, something unexpected happened: I struggled to take a proper day off.
Mondays and Tuesdays should be my new “weekend,” but they don’t feel like time off. The rest of the world is in full work mode, and so am I—answering emails, planning, organising, always “just doing one more thing.” Even when I try to step away, there’s a voice in my head whispering, “Everyone else is working. Shouldn’t you be?”
It’s taking longer than I expected to unlearn the habit of working on these days. And I know I’m not alone. So many self-employed people struggle to take time off because, technically, we can always be working. There’s no one enforcing a break except ourselves—and we’re often the worst bosses in that regard.
But here’s what I remind myself: Rest isn’t optional. It’s essential. Creativity, clarity, and even productivity all thrive when we give ourselves permission to pause. I didn’t struggle to take Sundays off before, so what’s stopping me now? The truth is, nothing except my own conditioning.
So, I’m working on it. I’m trying to treat Mondays like I used to treat Sundays—giving myself full permission to enjoy the day, do something that feels good, and ignore the inbox until Wednesday. It’s a process, but if you’re in the same boat, I hope this is your reminder: you don’t need to earn a day off. You just need to take it.
Until next time,
