Unwind & recharge – taking an effective mental health day
Tips | When to Take a Mental Health Day | How to Ask for a Mental Health Day
Everyone needs a mental health day every once in a while, whether you permitted by your place of work to call it that or not. However, many of us are so dopamine driven now that mental health days can turn into a day full of mindless scrolling rather than a day of rest and relaxation.
In order to ensure that your mental health day is one that genuinely benefits your mental health, it’s important to consider the following tips:
Tips
Turn your phone off…
Unless it’s absolutely necessary to have your phone on you, turn that pocket-sized slot machine off! Smartphones are designed to keep us glued to them at all times during the day.
From your notifications, to the colors, to the sounds, it’s built like a casino for your pocket.
Even worse, social media apps are designed with the same intention. There are entire offices full of humans around the world that they’re 9-5 job is to come up with new ways to glue you to your screen or get you to scroll for hours and hours on end.
Excessive screen time is linked to poor mental and even physical health, and according to Advent Health, “A study in 2018 showed that American adults spent between two and four hours per day on their devices, which added up to about 2,600 taps, swipes, touches and types per day. When the pandemic hit in 2020, those numbers went up exponentially given the need to replace in-person work and play with virtual alternatives.”
So, in a nutshell, get the h*ll off your phone. It’s good for you! 🙂
De-stress…
If you’re like me, you probably experience chronic stress that never, ever goes away.
Especially if you work in an overwhelming environment, that stress can build on your mental health really fast and get in the way of your productivity, focus, and overall wellness at work.
It’s important to communicate this (whether you like your boss or not, unfortunately). If you’re starting to feel overwhelmed or stressed at work, text, email, or set up a meeting with your boss to chat through it. Thankfully, your boss is (hopefully) human too and may be super understanding and willing to support you. If they aren’t, that’s a toxic workplace, babes. On to the next!
For some tips on how to de-stress, check out this post about finding the stress coping mechanism for you! 🙂
Allow yourself to take a break from life…
If you’re strict about the food you eat, the clothes you wear, how often you work out, or even whether or not you stay in bed all day, give yourself some grace on this mental health day.
This is about feeling rested, relaxed, and recharged. If you put too much pressure on yourself to be perfect on your mental health day, that defeats the purpose.
Of course, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with sticking to your habits and usual routine if that’s what makes you feel rested, but if not, take a day off! All of those things will still be there tomorrow. Remember, the focus is your mental health.
*note: Although this is a day to let go of usual habits and routines that are draining, try your best to do what’s best for your body and mind.
If you’re an extrovert…
If you recharge by spending quality time with friends or family, try to schedule this mental health day with a lunch date built in. Call up your bestie and ask them to be part of your mental health day.
Obviously, a lunch date isn’t the only option for things to do with friends, but maybe try to find something to do with one another that isn’t sensory overload or too physical… like go karts might be a bit much for a mental health day.
If possible, take your “Friday” off…
Even if your “Friday” is not actually Friday (for example if you have Mondays and Tuesdays off), try to get the day before your “weekend” off. That way, you get a longer, more rejuvenating break during which you can relax, spend time with friends, and de-stress without worrying about work tomorrow.
When to take a mental health day
So, how do you know if you need to take a mental health day? If you’re feeling any of the following things at work, that’s probably a good sign that you need to ask for a day off:
- Burnout – According to this article by Verywell Mind, “Burnout symptoms include feeling exhausted, empty, and unable to cope with daily life. If left unaddressed, your burnout may even make it difficult to function.”
- Stress – If you’re feeling like you’re drowning at work – feeling overwhelmed, overworked, or disinterested in working or socializing at work, you might be stressed. You can check out my post on stress for more information about the definition of stress, symptoms of stress, and ways to de-stress!
- Anxiety/Depression – If you experience anxiety or mood disorders and work is causing your symptoms to worsen, it may be time to take a mental health day. Maybe even call your therapist or doctor for advice on steps to alleviate those symptoms (since they are likely to be experts on your health specifically – you are unique and you deserve unique, quality healthcare <3).
How to ask for a mental health day
Unfortunately, in the U.S., it is not necessarily illegal for your boss to deny you a mental health day unless you have specified accommodations. However, like I mentioned before, your boss is also human and may be understanding about your mental health needs.
If you choose to ask your boss, maybe say “Hey (their name), I am beginning to feel a little burnt out and I feel I am not performing at my best. If it’s okay with you, I would like to take a day this week or next to focus on my mental health.” Fight the stigma!
However, there are a couple of ways you can take this time off without asking your boss directly:
- Call in sick or take a paid sick day – Since there aren’t specified procedures for mental health days in the U.S. (yet), you can call in sick or take a paid sick day. You are not required to disclose in what way you are sick, so don’t feel pressured to tell them or make up a fake sickness (like A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon) in order to get out of work. Just call in and say “Hi. I’m taking a sick day today. I will be in (whenever you are in next).
- Take time off or PTOÂ – Schedule time off or PTO and don’t tell your boss that it’s not for vacation or professional development. If they require you to list a reason, write that you have a family member or friend coming into town. This is the time to come up with fun (and hopefully reasonable) excuses.
Mental health days are slowly growing in popularity across the U.S. Hopefully in the near future, we will have stated protocols and procedures for time off related to mental health and wellness, but in the mean time, take the time you need to rejuvenate and relax.