In my opinion, any honest job for honest pay is worth doing and worth respect, and it's infinitely better than being unemployed. And as you said it would leave you with time during the day to pursue other things. I think it sounds like a good thing.

Lest you think I'm talking out of my hat, I lost a really high status, high paying senior finance job due to a drinking problem in 06. I was unemployed for 16 months while trying to get sober and deal with some mental health issues. When I went back into the job market, there weren't many equivalent senior positions plus I had to explain a year not working. I wound up taking a job that's several levels below my old job, at a substantial pay cut, and my ego still has a tough time with it occassionally. But the way I look at it is I'm lucky to be working at a decent job with ok benefits. I'm learning some new skills (it's in a slightly different area of accounting) and the fact that it's junior to my skill level means no overtime, when i leave work at 5 pm I leave the job behind. I have a chance to have a life outside work. I used to totally define myself by my job, but now thanks to being in a more junior position, I've had to redefine myself more holistically and it's made me feel a lot better about myself.

--splitimage