Who Needs to Take a Mental Health Day
Do you ever have those days where you just seem so overwhelmed or maybe you are simply in a really bad headspace? Whether it is an occasional thing or perhaps you are dealing with and trying to manage a mental health issue.
I and a few other family members deal with anxiety and/or depression and at times our feelings and emotions can be so overwhelming.
For some, it may cause anxiety attacks. For others a depressive state. Whatever it is, we oftentimes feel like we need to push forward no matter what and show up for work or school or whatever it may be.
But I ask, when is it time to take a mental health day and NOT go to work or school that day? As a parent, I used to try to push my kids to suck it up and “just go to school” not realizing what was going on. Or I’d push myself to go to work. And while many times it IS a good thing to work through such days and it can actually be helpful in getting past an issue, other times it can be detrimental.
With mental health being a topic that we are much more willing to talk about these days, more people are open to taking a mental health day when they feel like they need it. Or allowing others to take when necessary.
Sometimes just a day off from the norm can be enough to reset our minds and help us to focus on taking care of ourselves. Whether it is just resting or perhaps implementing some of our favorite self-care activities.
If you are someone who has similar struggles…maybe YOU are the WHO that needs to take a Mental Health Day once in a while.
What To Do When You Take a Mental Health Day
We are all different and for me, I utilize different coping mechanisms when I am anxious. And it depends on the cause of my anxiety as to what skills make me feel better.
For example I tend to do the following:
- Clean and/or organize things in my house. (It gives me busy work and helps me to focus on the task at hand and not on whatever is swirling in my mind.) BONUS: I have a clean house!
- Deep Breathing Techniques
- Prayer & Reading Scriptures
- Listening to music that feels good at that time
- Call a friend to chat
- Go for a walk
- Binge watch a favorite show
For others in my family they might do these:
- Fishing (They find this to be very calming)
- Playing Video Games
- Knitting
- Working Out
Many times we will need to take a Mental Health Day to fully utilize these coping skills when life is just too overwhelming. Find what coping skills serve YOU best and write them down. Then utilize some of them if you need a take the day.
Why Many of Us Don’t Take a Mental Health Day
There are so many reasons why we don’t take a day off and focus on ourselves. We may miss out on an assignment at school or feel as though we are being penalized at work, or just the fact of missing a day’s pay if we are not fortunate enough to have paid time off.
While all of those reasons ( and more) can be true…From my own personal experience, I know that if I neglect my mental wellness, it’ll catch up with me eventually anyway. So I like to think of this as being a proactive or preventative measure.
It is important to get to know ourselves and while we can’t always just stop all of our obligations whenever we want, for example, if you are a parent ( I mean the kids still have needs that must be tended to.) What do we do then?
If you have obligations that still have to get done that day or in a specific time frame, it may be possible to ask someone else to cover for you. Ask the child’s other parent to help out (if applicable) or perhaps a friend. Delegating out some things once in a while can be so freeing! Have an errand to run that you just can muster up the wherewithal to do? Call a friend. Ask for help.
But I know that isn’t always an option. If that is your situation, try your best to find nuggets of time throughout your day to practice some of the self-care tips you have compiled. Even 5 minutes of time a day can help.
Sometimes we have to learn to put ourselves first. The following phrase is one that is said before taking off in an airplane as a warning if there is a problem, but is so pertinent to our daily lives.
“In case of a cabin pressure emergency, put on your own mask first before assisting others.”
It literally means to take care of yourself first. So go ahead and use the oxygen mask FIRST when you need it and don’t feel bad about doing so. You will ultimately be a better you if you are tending to your own mental wellness before anything else. And a better YOU is better for everyone around you.
This is a great post. I think mental health days should become the norm, just like if you had flu.
Employers would benefit from allowing an individual to take so many per year, as oppose to facing burnout & potentially having months off work!
Thank you for raising this issue.
So very true. For now, we have to use reg sick or personal days if we have any.
I love this. It is so important to remember to take time and put on your own oxygen mask first. Thank you so much for sharing
This is a great article. I love taking a mental health day every so often. I like go on long walk, it helps to clear my mind. Some things I like to meditate and practice my breathing techniques. Thank you for sharing this reminder.
I never felt I was “entitled” to a mental health day since I am a full time homemaker. But, even though my schedule is not as strenuous as my husband’s, it’s still steady. And many of my responsibilities go beyond the normal workday, without vacations. So I don’t feel guilty about it any more.
Every one needs a mental health break from time to time, including homemakers!
Glad you are taking care of you!
These are great points you’ve mentioned. I think we all need to get into the mindset of treating our mental health like we would our physical health.
Thank you for sharing! I always feel guilty for taking mental health moments much less days but I know they’re important. Appreciate the reminder.
I’m a big advocate of protecting your peace and I take mental health breaks often. Logging off of social media, grabbing a good book, iced chai tea, and a great movie are just a few things I enjoy doing. Great tips! Thank you
Thanks for sharing! It’s amazing how people can forget about their own mental health. And sometime just a day away from the chaos will help. Sometimes even less than that is needed. Just some time. Thanks for sharing!
Sometimes you just need a day off and that’s okay!! I take them from time to time – they are important!
Love this!! It’s so important to prioritize mental health, and to teach our children to do the same.
I love working out and listening to music on mental health days. It always puts me in a better mood and helps me forget what I was stressing about.
I don’t do this enough! It’s always go, go, go. I’m trying to take care of myself more by doing something special each week. Sometimes I think I need to focus on doing it daily though! Thank you so much for this reminder!
This is such a great post. We have to take breaks and take care of ourselves. We don’t have to feel guilty about taking a mental health day. These are important moments.
Pastor Natalie
Letstakeamoment.com
Great article!
This morning I woke up feeling very lethargic and I had very low energy. I ran some errands as usual, and then it hit me: I needed to rest and take a break. My mental health wasn’t`t at its best, so I did what would have made me feel better: I journaled, meditated, and read a book. In one hour, I got completely recharged!
I love this so much. Very well said. Thank you for sharing!
Mental health days should be mandatory. Thanks for bringing up the topic, we all need a reminder sometimes.
Thanks for the valuable info
sometimes i take more than one day to heal and get back on track
It is really important to check and listen to your feelings
This is a great post, Amy! I was brought up that you take care of everyone else, and ignore what might be going on with you. The thing is if we don’t have good mental health, we are not doing our family justice, and our life can become very chaotic and dysfunctional. I am so glad that so much awareness about mental health care is out in the open and people can now find the help and resouces they need in order to live a healthy life. Thank you for sharing this important topic!
This is so great! Thank you so much for raising this issue!
I love the airline analogy. If we can’t breathe, there’s no way we’ll help anyone else to. We definitely need to take breaks and care for ourselves as we care for others.
Such a good post! This is such an important topic thank you for addressing this and giving great suggestions. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you!
Powerful article.. You got me thinking about my own journey and that its OK to take a step back once in a while…
Indeed it is. I hope this was helpful.
A great post. Thank you for sharing it.
🙂
Good advice and something I never do and should. But I do try to capitalize on “nuggets of time” to take a mental health break. Usually I try to take a walk to clear my head. 🙂
That is a wonderful idea! Being outside can often be super healing.