How to Take Care of Your Mental Health
I’ve been having a really tough time getting a grasp on my life lately. Things seem to be moving too quickly and I can’t find enough energy to keep up with it all. Things have fallen through the cracks and I can’t figure out how to get back on track. My to-do list keep cycling through my mind even after I’ve written it down. At some point, it got too overwhelming to even write it down. And of course, this is when all the big life questions nag at me the most - What am I doing with my career? How should I be spending my life? Why can’t I get back into my meditation rhythm? Etc. etc. etc.
Then on Wednesday night, I remembered. Mental health days are a real thing. Even though my current job doesn’t explicitly say that sick days are mental health days, they should be and I treat them as such. I decided to ask for a sick day that very next day and it’s the best decision I made this month.
There’s something about having a sick day that gives me permission to do the things that I truly need to do in order to feel more mentally and emotionally stable.
Waking up without an alarm, not feeling the pressure to get things done, and the ability to do things that I’m often I’m too tired to do after work like read my fantasy book gives me a real pause. A much needed pause. A pause that creates space. And that space is what helps me to actually accomplish my to-do list.
It may sound so simple but having a morning during the week without the pressure of work or a vacation day off or even a holiday day off, just a regular ol’ weekday to recover helps me start to gain back some of that emotional and mental space back that I was lacking.
So how do you know when you need to take a mental health day? Here’s what psychotherapist, Amy Morin, says to look for in her article How To Know When To Take a Mental Health Day:
“When you’re distracted by something you need to address. If you’re behind on your bills and taking a day off to tackle your budget could help you feel as though you’re back in control, it may make sense to take a day to address it so you can reduce your anxiety.
When you’ve been neglecting yourself. Just like electronic devices need recharging, it's important to take time to charge your own batteries. A little alone time or an opportunity to practice some self-care can help you perform better.
When you need to attend appointments to care for your mental health. Whether you need to see your doctor to get your medication adjusted or you need to schedule an appointment with your therapist, taking a day off to address your mental health needs is instrumental in helping you be at your best.”
So check in with yourself. Be honest - could you use a mental health day? And if you have the time off, is there a reason that you are not using it besides the feeling of, “It’s life, I should just deal with it”?
If there isn’t a good reason for why you can’t take a sick day, and you feel yourself needing that for your emotional and mental health, do consider taking a mental health day. I doubt you’ll regret it.
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