Every now and then, any person can benefit from taking what many call a “mental health day.” It’s essentially a day away from work duties, digital screens, and other life obligations. It helps a person make a temporary escape from the pressures and frustrations of daily life. On the professional side of things, many employers are beginning to provide “mental health” days for their employees to recharge and indulge in self care. Let’s take a closer look at what a mental health day is and why it’s crucial for long-term health.
What Are Mental Health Days?
So what exactly is a mental health day? In a nutshell, it’s a day devoted to not engaging with big sources of stress or frustration. It’s intended as a full day that lets a person decompress and take care of their mental health in whatever ways work best for them. If you’ve started feeling easily agitated, physically or mentally tired, anxious, or finding it hard to focus like you normally would, it might be time to use a mental health day.
The above symptoms can signify that a person is suffering from burnout, and taking time to work on your mental health can help resolve feelings of burnout. In fact, modern research strongly suggests that mental health should be considered with as much importance as physical health. For instance, if you’d call out of work for nausea or other physical illness, why not for a panic attack? Mental health conditions are medically understood to be chronic illnesses, and employees should not feel pressured to avoid taking the time they need to focus on and treat any symptoms that arise.
What to Do On Your Mental Health Day
When you’re ready to take a mental health day, you should be aware and understand what your mental health needs the most. For instance, if you are physically tired it might be a good idea to sleep in a couple of hours and/or do light activities you enjoy so that you won’t overexert yourself. These could include taking a walk, attending a yoga class, going for a swim, or investing in a massage.
You can also try to do something that inspires you and engages your brain. That could include focusing on your personal to-do list or running a marathon; whatever you choose, make sure you are getting what you need out of your day.
The most significant point of taking a mental health day is, simply put, to feel better and get well. If you can’t focus on the things you enjoy that help you get out of an emotional funk, you could easily waste your day off and would not have resolved your stress or whatever had motivated you to take the day off in the first place.
Benefits of a Mental Health Day
Taking a day to focus on stress relief and the activities that help your mental health recovery can be a major boon. Recent medical research shows that taking a much-needed break can actually help improve productivity and creativity. Thus, returning to work after taking a mental health day can help your ability to focus and be more productive. Many employers are starting to see mental health days as productivity boosters in and of themselves.
While mental health days may be a plus for your employer or company, it also predominantly helps with your own well-being. Ultimately, taking a mental health day will likely help you de-stress, relax, recover, reflect on your emotions, reset your focus, and even, potentially, reevaluate your personal ambitions.
When you are overwhelmed and stressed, it’s all too easy to not be able to see things clearly, and by taking a break you will be able to focus better and get back on track to accomplishing your goals. For more information about the importance of taking mental health days and de-stressing, TMS in Allentown is here to help! Our facility is one of the first TMS centers in the area and one of the most experienced across the whole east coast. Don’t hesitate to contact us today!