How to Take a Mental Health Day

We all experience stress in varying degrees, which can take a serious toll. Sometimes it’s manageable, but there are times when it can start to feel out of hand—especially if you are dealing with something like depression or anxiety. If your stress has become overwhelming, taking a mental health day could provide the quick reset you need.

A mental health day is a day when you take time off from work or school and minimize your commitments or responsibilities. You can use this time to focus on relieving stress, relaxing, having fun, and preventing burnout.

While one day might not solve heavy underlying problems that lead to burnout, a mental health day off work *can* provide a much-needed break to pause, regroup, and come back with greater energy and a fresh, less-stressed perspective.

Whatever stressors you face, these tips can help you take a mental health day and make the most of it.

Benefits of a Mental Health Day Off Work

Work, family, school, kids—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by your daily roles and responsibilities. When you’re constantly expected to perform your duties as an employee, a parent, a spouse, a family member, or a friend, it’s easy to see why you might feel drained and exhausted.

No matter how busy you are, it’s important to take time for yourself to:

• Clear your mind
• Have fun and do things you enjoy
• Improve your sleep quality
• Process your emotions
• Promote relaxation
• Reduce stress

World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day was first celebrated in 1992 by an organization called the World Federation for Mental Health. Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) supports World Mental Health Day as well.

The day is meant to raise awareness about mental health issues, reduce stigmas surrounding mental illness, and encourage workplaces, institutions, and individuals to prioritize their mental health.

Choose Your Mental Health Day Off Work

Once you have decided to take a mental health day, the question then becomes “when and how?”

The best way to avoid feeling stressed about taking a day off is to schedule a day off ahead of time, then take steps to rearrange your workload or find a replacement for the day. However, if you wake up in the morning and just feel that you can’t face the stress of the day, this may be a good time to take a mental health day and make the most of it.

The decision of when to take a mental health day really depends on your personal situation. If your employer is supportive—and you are comfortable sharing your reasons—feel free to plan a mental health day in advance.

Some people feel they need to make mental health day excuses to get out of work. But if you don’t want disclose your reasons for taking a day off—or if your employer is less understanding—don’t feel obligated to share.

How do you ask for a mental health day off work? You can:

• Call in sick. You can say, “I’d like to use my remaining sick day this month,” and not specify why you’re using it. Or you can say, “I am not feeling well today, and I need to take the day off,” without adding anything further. In this case, your mental health day is taken as a sick day.
• Plan to use some of your time off. You can say, “I will be using my PTO,” without giving a reason why. Your employer or fellow employees don’t need to know what you’ll be doing.
• Schedule your mental health day for a day you already have off. If anyone asks what you’ll be doing, you don’t have to share that you’re taking a mental health day unless you feel comfortable doing so. You can simply say, “I’ll be seeing family,” or “I’ll just be relaxing at home.”

Mental Health Days for Students

What about students? While they may not be dealing with the pressures of work, academics and other school-related obligations can undoubtedly contribute to stress and the need for a mental break. State legislation has increasingly supported policies that enable students to take time off for mental or behavioral health. Of course, policies vary by school and by state.

If you or your child need to take time away from school for mental health reasons, you can use a sick day to do so. If you need more time or your school requests a doctor’s note, talk to a guidance counselor and/or administrator at the school to explain your situation. A mental health professional may be able to provide a written note that verifies your need for a day (or multiple days) off.

How to Recognize the Signs of Burnout

If you can recognize the signs of burnout (or feel them coming), it’s probably time to take a mental health day at work or a mental health day at school.

If you’re not feeling like yourself, and you dread performing your day-to-day tasks, chances are you are experiencing some burnout.

What to Expect From a Mental Health Day

Taking a mental health day isn’t just about spending all day in bed ignoring the world (tempting, but no). It isn’t a day to hide from your problems. It’s also not a day to spend 10 hours scrolling TikTok and calling it self-care.

It’s about giving yourself what you need to feel mentally restored. That might mean finding ways to destress or process some difficult emotions you’ve been experiencing. Knowing what you can expect to get out of a mental health day can help you make the most of it.

Problems can be harder to deal with when they seem close, overwhelming, and inescapable. Taking a mental break from work and spending some time on self-care can sometimes give you the mini-break you need to head back into things with a clear head.

How to Spend Your Mental Health Day Off Work

Sometimes this one is a no-brainer—if you’re exhausted, your body will be screaming that it needs to rest. Of, if you feel you can’t face another day of hard work, you may just need to have some fun. However, you may not be as tuned in to your needs if you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Pause for a moment and really think: Do you need to let go of some tension? Or do you need to make some changes so future you won’t be so stressed? Or do you just need a little time to reconnect with a good friend or have a change of scenery? Just like different stressors require different responses, the kind of mental health day you take should match your needs.

If You Need to Relax

Taking a mental health day often means taking time out to relax. That can mean watching TV in pajamas for hours, or puttering around the house and doing nothing. As long as this isn’t an everyday thing, that’s fine. Some activities take a little extra planning and effort, but the results can be *so* worth it.

Examples include:

• Attending a yoga class
• Getting a massage
• Swimming laps
• Taking a walk in nature

The key is to do something that actually helps you unwind, whether it’s taking a hike, exploring a museum, or just getting lost in a good book.

There are almost endless ways to spend your day, whether you decide to catch up on some much-needed sleep, indulge in a hobby you love, or hang out with a friend. Just make sure you’re focusing on things that boost your physical and mental wellness.

If You Need Some Fun

If you really need a change of scenery and a “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” kind of mental health day, make the most of it. Plan at least one fun event—either something you normally love to do and don’t do often enough, or something you’ve always wanted to try. Take a good friend along, if possible, to really make the day memorable.

If nothing grabs your attention, consider trying some activities that provide just the right type of challenge: Hobbies, games, and the like.

If You Need to Make Some Changes

If stress is piling up and you need a way to slow down and stop the noise, take a day to restructure things to make your life flow a little smoother. You may not be able to wipe out all of your stressors in a day, but you can definitely tackle one or two. It might seem like a small win, but it can ultimately have a lasting impact on your overall stress levels.

You can start to eliminate stress by:

Don’t try to take this all on in a single day. Taking on too much all at once will just make your stress levels worse. So, if you want to use your mental health day to make real changes in your life, use it to evaluate, plan, and get ready to work on those changes.

If You Need a Longer Break

It’s also worth checking in with yourself—is it normal stress or are you heading for burnout? If a single mental health day doesn’t cut it, it might be time for a staycation or even a full-on vacation.

Online resources can be helpful, but don’t be afraid to discuss your concerns with your doctor or a mental health professional. There are many things you can do to start to feel better.

Takeaways

Don’t wait until you’ve reached the point of burnout to take a break—look for ways to keep stress levels low so that you don’t wake up one morning in dire need of an emergency mental health day. Mental health days can be helpful when they are really needed, but you should also make sure that you make time for rest and prioritize your mental health *every* day.