Does it seem like stress is eating you alive lately, keeping you from thinking straight and staying focused? It happens to the best of us, and a mental health day may be just what the doctor ordered.
We aren’t talking about a day where you catch up on all those backed up work emails. We mean an entire weekday dedicated to doing exclusively what will help you de-stress and decompress. It could be exercising, hitting the spa, gardening, or a day trip to the beach; as long as it gives you a mental vacation from your stress, it counts!
Here’s why you should be penciling in a mental health day ASAP if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Clearing Your Head Will Help You Focus
Many of us are constantly buzzing with seemingly endless responsibilities. It’s normal to be “busy” but when you are taking yourself beyond your capacity and feeling overwhelmed with stress and anxiety, it may be time to unwind and shut down. Of course, that is easier said than done, but just remind yourself that clearing your head and prioritizing your health and mental wellness will help you better accomplish tasks in the future. Taking a single day off is a worthy investment in your well-being for days to come. It will help you come back refreshed and ready to refocus.
Taking Care of Yourself Can Help Others
When you’re stressed, everyone can sense it. Not only are you giving off a bad vibe, but you might also be getting easily irritated with those around you. Setting time aside in your schedule to take care of yourself will not only make you feel better, but it will help you be kinder and more patient with those around you.
Catching Up on Other Tasks Helps You Feel Less Stressed
When you’re facing deadlines all day long at work, it’s easy to skip out on things in your personal life, like your laundry or doing the dishes. Sure, these things aren’t as urgent as work tasks, but it can leave you feeling moody or anxious when in the back of your mind, you know these extra things are piling up. You’ll have less things skewing your focus when you take a day to get all of those little, necessary things accomplished. When you feel in control of your home and personal life, it helps everything become less stressful. Trust us, those dirty dishes and that piled up laundry does make you more anxious than you realize!
Ready for a mental health day?
So, you’re ready for a mental health day? It’s wise to plan ahead so that you can truly enjoy and relax on your “you” day. Stay a little late at work the day before to get more things done. The last thing you want to do on your day off is think about all the things you need to do in the office. Make sure to tie up any urgent matters beforehand and let your colleagues know you’ll be unavailable for the day. If you’re going to a spa or doing an activity, it’s a good idea to reserve and set your appointments well ahead of time, so you’re not stressing about scheduling the day of. Also, set your email to auto-reply that you’re out of the office, so you can truly unplug from work. Having said that, we recommend totally taking a day off from tech if you can -that includes your phone and laptop!
While we can’t take mental health days all the time, if you feel like it’s something you need a few times a year to stay sane, be sure to set aside some of your personal days. You never know what stresses may come up at work or in your personal life, and if you blow all of your personal days playing “hooky,” it’ll be hard for you to give yourself some relaxation when you actually need it.
