How to Take An Effective Mental Health Day

You Are Important Too.

Mental health day, what is that? A mental health day is more than sleeping in, taking the day off, or mindlessly scrolling on social media.

A mental health day allows people to take a time-out, de-stress, reset, do something for themselves, reconnect, and avoid burn out. Often we are on a go-go-go mode and don’t realize we are slowly crashing… until we crash.

Though it is scary to admit one needs to take a mental health day due to stigma, it is important to take care of the self to be able to continue pouring into others (whether it is to show up in your personal/professional/social life). Most of us will recall a flight attendant’s statement of “Make sure you put on your oxygen mask first before assisting someone else, so you both make it.” This same analogy applies in your day to day life with mental health.

On your mental health day, participate in intentional activities. Reconnect with loved ones, go on a nature walk, do some physical activity, take a bath, read a book, reset your room. If it is too difficult to write it out, list 3 things in your mind, and follow through on those 3 things on the day of.