Stress, deadlines, and the constant pressure to perform feel all too familiar. These days, mental health days at work sound like a luxury. You may have little room for rest and you're putting healthy meals, sleep, and exercise on the back burner. While the grind may feel good, ignoring your mental health is harmful to both you and your workplace.
A mental health day off work isn’t an excuse to stay home. In an ideal world, you should be able to take one to recharge and come back to work stronger. In the next sections, we’ll explore why a mental health day at work is essential, and how you can make the most out of them.
What Is A Mental Health Day At Work?
What is mental health day at work, you ask? It is a day dedicated to your mental health and emotional well-being. It allows you to step back, breathe, and deal with the stress build-up from the previous work weeks. This way, you can prevent burnout and return to work with a refreshed and capable mind. A mental health day at work can look like catching up on rest, talking to a therapist, or doing something you love. It means taking a day at your own pace.
What sets mental health days at work apart from other types of leave is its proactiveness. Sick days, for instance, are reactive. You take these when you’re already unwell and need time to recover. You plan vacation days weeks or months prior before experiencing relaxation. A mental health day acknowledges that your mental state affects your well-being and work performance. It signals that you would prefer to take a step back now instead of waiting for things to spiral.
Why Mental Health Days At Work Are Important
Let’s face it: we have come to acknowledge that our purpose in life is not juggling deadlines and meetings. All this can take a toll on you and your work, but you’d rather it doesn’t. So here's why mental health days off work are important:
Help Employees Manage Stress
A mental health at work day gives you a chance to hit that reset button. It recharges you when stress, anxiety, and burnout become too much. It’s so you can spend more time with family, sit by a coffee shop window with a book, or breathe in fresh air. Whichever way you spend your mental health day, there’s no denying it alleviates your stress.
Promote Better Focus
The purpose of mental health days at work isn’t to give you a break; it also gives you better focus once you’ve returned. When you’re well-rested, you’re more focused, creative, and productive. This is why so many people recommend getting a good 8 hours of sleep. Except when you’re burnt out, a day dedicated to your well-being is a must to put your best foot forward.
Reduce Stigma
Mental health days off work break the stigma surrounding mental health. It tells you that your workplace values inclusivity and mental health.
And when you’re a member of a minority group like the LGBTQ+ community, you may need that extra breather. This is important so you can be yourself after all the discrimination you already face.
Improve Workplace Morale
Mental health days benefit your workplace by increasing employee morale as well. This kind of culture tells you that your employer cares more about you than the numbers. When you and your team feel supported, appreciated, and taken care of, you are more likely to stick around.
How To Spend The Day Meaningfully
When you take your first mental health day at work, you may not know exactly what you want to do. This may be especially the case if you’ve been a workaholic for the vast majority of your working days. Here are a few ideas to make the best out of these rest days:
Get extra sleep or rest. Sleep and catch up on that much-needed rest.
Engage in activities you enjoy. Read books, paint, or binge-watch your favorite show.
Exercise or take a walk. Head out for a walk or workout to release those endorphins.
Connect with loved ones. Call your close friends, have coffee with your family, or take your pet out on a date. Share these wonderful moments with those you care about.
Reflect on your goals. If you’re the type to do introspection, get out your notebook and journal or think about what you want to achieve.
Schedule a therapy session. Take the time to work through your deeper feelings and frustrations.
Pamper yourself. A spa day, a visit to a new cafe, and treating yourself to your favorite meal can do wonders for you.
Unplug. Take a break from work emails and social media and focus on yourself.
Explore nature. Soak up some sunlight, visit a park, or hike a trail–whichever nurtures your soul.
In Conclusion
Taking care of your mental health may feel like a luxury, but you must remind yourself that it’s a necessity. Stress, burnout, and emotional fatigue are all too common and unnecessary. Waiting to let these spiral before caring for yourself only aggravates your well-being.
Let these mental health days remind you that your mental health matters as much as your physical one. After all, not only do these address your burnout, but they also help you return to work stronger. If you need a mental health session after soaking in the sun, contact us at Cielo Treatment Center today!
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