Some people are taking more than a sandwich to lunch

The conversation around work-life balance has evolved a lot since the early days of remote work. Back in 2020, when homes became offices and offices became bedrooms, the boundaries between work and personal life blurred in unexpected ways. And some of those blurred lines are still with us.

One topic that keeps (quietly) surfacing during May – also known as Masturbation May – is whether it’s acceptable to take a moment of solo self-care during the workday. Not to procrastinate or scroll, but as a reset. A way to manage stress. Regulate mood. Reconnect with your body and your energy before returning to your inbox.

Actually, it’s not as fringe as it might sound

A personal essay from Mamamia describes the benefits of a midday moment for release and calm. Metro explored the idea of structured “pleasure breaks” as a potential tool for boosting productivity. Psychology Today highlights the dopamine hit that comes with climax – pointing out its effects on motivation, focus, and mood regulation. And filmmaker Erika Lust even made headlines by officially introducing 30-minute daily “self-pleasure breaks” for her staff, citing both wellbeing and workplace morale as reasons.

We’re not here to suggest this should become a new standard, but the conversation itself is worth examining. Because it opens up a bigger question: How do we define professionalism in a post-pandemic world, when the workplace isn’t always a "place", and when self-regulation is more crucial than ever?

Science has long established that brief periods of pleasure or relaxation can improve cognitive performance. Dopamine and oxytocin – both released during sexual arousal and orgasm – are known to reduce stress, increase resilience, and boost creativity. And while few companies are ready to openly encourage “that kind” of break, the underlying principle is already embedded in the wellness culture we're used to hearing about: Take a walk. Do a breathing exercise. Eat something satisfying. Reboot your nervous system so you can return to work more focused and grounded.

So what makes this kind of reset taboo, when others are encouraged?

The answer likely lies in discomfort, not dysfunction. The idea of pleasure (particularly sexual pleasure) in a work context is still deeply taboo, especially in professional environments. But remote work changed the context of where and how we operate. For some, personal rituals that might once have felt unthinkable in a cubicle suddenly became part of a broader self-care strategy.

So… Is this something we’re allowed to talk about?

Is it inappropriate? Or is it simply another version of the same autonomy we’re told to exercise when we stretch between Zoom calls, meditate before a meeting, or block out time for deep focus?

At HUD App, we think all kinds of self-care deserve space in the conversation, even if we don’t always talk about them in detail. We’re not here to tell you how to spend your lunch break. But we are here for honest, thoughtful conversations about the full spectrum of human wellbeing – including the bits that still live in whispered corners of the internet.

Maybe the real takeaway isn’t whether a “midday personal reset” is right or wrong. It’s that the more we normalise nuanced conversations about pleasure, boundaries, and autonomy, the more likely we are to build workplace cultures that actually support the whole human, without shame, secrecy, or judgment.