Do you need to take a mental health day?

Mental health is an issue that’s been in the news more and more as people wake up to the importance of speaking about it. However, a story about mental health exploded online recently when a woman called Madalyn Parker from Michigan in the United States, emailed her work colleagues to say she was using two sick days to take some time for her mental health. After Madalyn sent the email, she received an unexpected reply from the CEO of the company which she posted online. In the email, the CEO thanked Madalyn for helping to cut through the stigma of mental health by being so honest. 

The thing with mental health is that we need to recognise it as being a part of our physical wellbeing. If we had the flu we would have no problem taking a sick day but no matter what state our mental health is in, we try our best to push through it and this attitude can actually make things worse.

A mental health day is simply when you decide to treat your mental health like your physical health and take a day off if you’re struggling. So what are the signs that you need to take a day to get some mental rest and recuperation?

1. When you’ve been through a big life event – Losing a loved one, a devastating break-up, a tough illness – these are just a handful of hard things that life throws with us. For some, throwing themselves into work immediately might give them relief, but for a lot of people there needs to be time to process (and recover from) what happened. Don’t be afraid to ask for time if you need it.

2. When you’re stressed out of your mind – Suffering from stress is never pleasant and it can have a host of horrible physical side effects (upset tummy, tension headache – the list is endless). When we’re terrible stressed, we tend not to think clearly and we also tend to be irritable and in a foul mood. When we’re in this state we’re no good to anyone else and sometimes stepping away from the thing that’s giving you stress gives you the space you need to solve the problem or work out your next step. A small dose of stress can be motivating, but if you find yourself bursting into tears in the office it’s probably time to take a break and maybe consider having a chat with your GP just to rule out any other conditions.

3. When you’re not being kind to yourself – We often forget that our bodies and minds are like children – they need attention, they need to be loved and they need to be nurtured. As adults we have such a bad habit of putting everything else before ourselves. We run ourselves ragged and then wonder why life has lost its shine or we don’t have the energy to get out of bed. It’s so important for us to be kind to ourselves and to invest time every day in our mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. If you can’t remember the last time you spent a day doing something that you love and just relaxing and minding yourself, then make booking a day off a priority.

4. When you’re exhausted – Everyone is likely to experience burnout at some point in their lives. Burnout occurs when we ignore our body’s messages to stop and rest and instead push ourselves. Eventually, our body gets so frustrated with us that it stops us in our tracks – often with a bought of stress, an illness or, in some extreme cases, a breakdown. If your energy levels are through the floor and you really need some quality rest, you need to book in a mental health day.

5. When you’re not sleeping properly – Again, this is one of those times when it’s worth visiting the doctor just to rule out any underlying symptoms, but trouble sleeping is also a prime reason to take some time off. Spend a day catching up on sleep and recharging your batteries.

6. When you’re not being productive – When you’re under pressure at work and the demands on your time are mounting up, we can start to feel overwhelmed, which can sometimes make us do nothing at all. Ideally when you’re in work, you need to be productive. If you’re finding it incredibly hard to get things done, are struggling to focus and having major issues with procrastination then you need a mental health day to help you get back into the swing of productivity.

7. When the little things are upsetting you – Someone looks at you the wrong way or borrows a pen and doesn’t return it, and you find yourself in a rage. When the small things that normally don’t trigger you, provoke you into a fit of anger, the best thing you can do is take a day to yourself before you say or do something you’ll later regret.