What Are Mental Health Days?
The Nystrom & Associates provider consulted for this article is Alexa Thelen, MA, LPCC, Outpatient Therapist, and Clinical Services Training Specialist.
The topic of taking mental health days has certainly risen in popularity over the years. While they are a welcomed topic of conversation, mental health days are not new to employees. Employees have always been taking them, whether an employer has been aware of it or not. It may have been under a different reason like feeling unwell or tending to a family emergency.
What Mental Health Days Are
Mental health days are not a way to take the day off with the sole reason to "treat" yourself. In the name of self-care, they are a method of taking care of something that has been out of balance through a day off. That could be from the effects of burnout, stress, or anxiety. Some signs you may need a mental health day include if you:- Are unable to focus or concentrate
- Are exhausted and can't sleep
- Keep getting sick
- Are feeling overly anxious or disconnected
Why You Need Them
Mental health is just as important as physical health, and stress can impact your physical health. Taking care of your stress levels should be a priority. If you don't take preventative action, the feeling of burnout can surmount.Research shows that burnout can occur for an employee in any field if they do not take days off to rest and recuperate. When taking a mental health day, it is important to physically AND mentally distance ourselves from the work. Engage in self-practices that help fill up your cup and allow yourself to enjoy the break!-Alexa Thelen, MA, LPCC, Outpatient Therapist, and Clinical Services Training Specialist. Your PTO is there for a reason. Use it. Pushing yourself to come in anyway because you feel guilty for taking the day off may cause your work to suffer, in addition to more stress. What does filling up your cup look like? On a mental health day, participate in activities that allow for rest and rejuvenation. It should be about what you want to do, not what you have to do. Activities on a mental health day can include things like:
- Taking a yoga class
- Reading an inspirational book
- Cleaning (if cleaning is therapeutic for you)
- Spending time with a loved one
- Catching up on sleep
