Mental Health Days
Do you take mental health days? A lot of people talk about them and most folks think they’re beneficial. An important way to care for yourself. One of the top reasons employees call out from work, is because of depression and anxiety symptoms. A mental health day is a great way to recenter yourself and rest. That doesn’t mean it’s easy to do.
Last weekend was great. I went to the waterfall with my dogs, grilled food for our weekday work lunches, and spent quality time with my husband and a friend I don’t see enough. I couldn’t have asked for a more relaxing couple of days off. Then Monday came. As soon as I opened my eyes, a thought dropped into my head. Stay home.
I got up anyway.
As I made my way downstairs, my loyal dogs were afoot. The three of us cuddled up and I pulled out my journal. It’s easy for me to sip coffee and get lost in writing. That’s just what I did. An hour later, my husband joined us. We talked, caffeinated, and eventually he set off for work. I was still thinking about what to do.
For three hours I agonized about whether to take a mental health day or not. All of a sudden I thought, If I’m this anxious about going into work then I need a mental health day. I like my job, it’s not usually hard for me to get there. That day I needed to be alone.
My stomach was in knots as I let my boss know I wouldn’t be in. I had no reason to worry, our company is great about taking days off. I certainly wasn’t losing my job over one day. Still, I felt guilty for an hour or two. Finally, I remembered how long life is. In a couple weeks, no one will even remember I took a day off.
Instead of feeling as though I let people down, I took care of myself. That was the whole reason behind having a day off. To take care of myself! I suited up my dogs, Otto and Oakleaf, and put on my bathing suit. This was the kind of morning that should be spent at a waterfall.
The boys and I relaxed at that waterfall for hours. We got lunch on the way home and took a nap on the floor, when we got back. I was able to do the mountain of laundry I hadn’t gotten to, cleaned the house up, and made a beautiful dinner.
Even though the start of the day was riddled with anxiety, I detached from it and made the best of my mental health day. I took care of my soul, bonded with my boys, tended to our home, cooked a healthy and super delicious meal, and felt 100% rested for work the next day.
Calling out of work is uncomfortable, but dealing with the symptoms of not caring for yourself is even more uncomfortable. Next time you’re feeling as though you need time to rest, think about taking a mental health day! If you do, don’t spend the day feeling bad about staying home and do whatever will make you feel alive again!
