Posted by Vargas Consulting and Wellness on December 26, 2023

The first time I heard someone mention taking a mental health day was about ten years ago. At my job, we worked four days a week. There was a possible change coming, requiring us to work five days a week. One of my co-workers was totally against it and told me that she used that extra day off as her mental health day and she did not think she could make it through the week without it. Since then, others have mentioned taking a mental health off from work. I even read one person’s post mentioning one of the benefits of her job was having one mental health day off per month. It makes sense to me to give this time off as an option, when needed. A mental health day allows you to take off time from your normal schedule so you can focus on doing things to meet your personal needs which may reduce stress and burnout.

You may wonder when is it a good time to toke a mental health day. Some companies are more flexible with their time and are offering paid time off for employees to use whenever needed. Consider using your paid time off when you are very tired and are having a hard time making it through a long day at work, when you feel irritated with co-workers and your boss if you are easily distracted and not completing work timely.

One way to manage stress is by taking a mental health day. A mental health day is when you intentionally take time away from your normal day to recharge and improve your overall well-being. It’s important to remember that a mental health day can be planned and taken any day, it does not require taking a day off from work.

When you take a mental health day, I suggest you plan it and say to yourself a mantra such as “Tomorrow I am taking a mental health day because I deserve I deserve it”. Taking a mental health day can help reduce burnout, improve attitude, prevent crisis situations, reduces stress and improves physical health. If mental health days were something recognized by our work environments, taking time off for your mental health could reduce stigma.

Planning your day should be individualized. No one day should look the same. However, taking a break from social media, enjoying a massage or reflexology, going in for an acupuncture session, working out, taking a walk, making a healthy meal and relaxing at home for the day or going out with a friend are a few options. Do you use mental health days? How do you use them?