This summer, farmers across the country should be making it their mission to take some essential time off.

Although the beginning of the summer on most farms has been busy with the harvesting of silage and breeding of cows, it will be starting to quieten down now before the second cut of silage.

Many farmers find it hard to leave the farm at all, but with this month being Men's Health Month, it is important for men and women to take some deserved time-off for their mental well-being.

Weather you want to go on a holiday, take a few days for heading to Croke Park for the championship, or take up a new hobby, farmers must get away from work.

Studies have shown farmers work between 50-60 hours a week on average, even though under EU law employees can only work a maximum of 48 hours a week.

Many farmers are working under tight financial margins and feel as if they cannot afford to take time off.

However, hiring a relief milker just one day a week for the milking season will only cost you between €5,000 and €6,000, a relatively small price to pay for a work-life balance.

This can free up time to spend with family and friends or to get other jobs done, which in turn can create more time elsewhere.

Most dairy farms milk 14 times per week, with Teagasc studies showing average milking time is an hour and half. Outsourcing just two to three of these milkings can create a lot of free time.

By looking at a relief milker as an investment in your own time, rather than a cost per hour, you will be one step closer to a healthier work-life balance.

While some rural areas may struggle to get experienced relief milker, most areas will have students home for the summer that will happily do a couple of arranged milkings.