But here I am, holed up in my motel room, tap, tap tapping away, trying to avert my gaze from the ocean view and fellow holidaymakers lounging around the bar, sipping drinks and planning where to go for dinner.

This is no ordinary holiday. This is totally kid-free time out.

I’m free to do what I want, when I want at a very leisurely pace - or not, depending on my mood. No pressure, no plans, and no idea how I’ll cope when I have to return to the real world.

Of course I miss the kids, but I keep telling myself and them that mummy will come back a much better person, recharged and raring to go.

All guilt aside, I recommend that mummies the world over take one week off a year to nurture, nourish, and rejuvenate their mind, body, and spirit. Imagine it. A niche tourist industry devoted to mums-on-the-run. There could be mummy-only resorts where we could proudly parade around the pool deck, unashamed of our cellulite thighs, muffin top and stretch marks.

Seriously, as marvellous as motherhood is, it doesn’t hurt to get in touch with yourself; to think only about satisfying your own needs instead of multi-tasking every minute of every day.

Life as mum, whether you’re juggling work and kids or have chosen to stay at home, requires a huge amount of energy.

And if we don’t regularly replenish ourselves we risk burning out. I know the red light on my battery was flashing.

Relaxing is not enough. It’s fleeting and often interrupted.

Time out, on the other hand, is about physically and emotionally retreating from the daily chaos of our lives. Yet for many of us, this is easier said than done. Instead of laying claim to some well-deserved time out, we wait for someone to give us permission to take care of ourselves. And not every request people throw at you deserves a yes - like writing this column while on leave. Mums need to learn to say no sometimes so we can buy the invaluable time we so desperately need. It’s also worth considering giving up some existing commitments to make way for old or new activities.