Are you burnt out from your busy schedule? Are you having a hard time maintaining focus on the tasks at hand? Do you struggle to have motivation to go from one thing to the next? These are just a few signs of many that you may need a mental health day. According to Harvard Health Publishing, signs you may need one or more mental health days include:
- overwhelmed by personal issues
- exhausted by work or life demands
- sad, irritable, or angry
- less productive
- more anxious or depressed than usual
- unable to sleep consistently
- drawn toward using alcohol or other substances more frequently
According to the World Health Organization, “Mental health is a basic human right. And it is crucial to personal, community and socio-economic development.” Yet, statistics on workplace burnout, mental illness, and suicide are staggering. SHRM.org shares that around half of all employees are experiencing burnout of some kind. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that, “It is estimated that more than one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (59.3 million in 2022; 23.1% of the U.S. adult population.)” Those statistics are just those who have been diagnosed. There are many people out there who have a mental illness and do not know it.
Even more staggering is that according to the Centers for Disease Control, one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. is suicide. The CDC states, “Over 49,000 people died by suicide in 2023. That is one death every 11 minutes.” More than that, 1.5 million people attempted to take their own life in 2023!
Even those without mental illnesses are in the midst of a mental health crisis. I think that says something about our society. That is, as much as we hype up the idea of “self-care,” we don’t actually value mental health. Imagine how different our society would look if we normalized taking a step back and scheduling a mental health day on a regular basis.
In addition to the stark statistics on the state of mental health in the U.S., one needs to consider God’s mandate for rest. From the Old Testament when God’s people received the ten commandments, to the New Testament, God implores us to rest.
So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
Hebrews 4:9-11
Yes, we should rest one day each week, but I believe we should also go beyond just that day of weekly rest and take a serious mental health day on a regular basis.
The question is, what does a mental health day look like?
How to Make the Time for Mental Health Days
For some people, taking a mental health day just means rearranging one’s schedule and making the break a priority. For others, mental health days pose other obstacles like finding childcare and taking the time off of work, which can be easier said than done.
The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows for medical leave for mental health reasons–whether it’s one day or several. If your workplace is not covered by FMLA, many employers will still allow a sick-day without an explanation. Giving a reason for your sick day beyond just saying that you are unwell, is up to you and your relationship with your employer. I think you’ll be surprised how many employers care about their employees’ mental health as well as their physical health.
If work is not an issue, for some, childcare is the sticking point. As a mom with a husband who runs his own business and works all the time, I understand that finding childcare can be stressful for many, and doing so in order to have a personal day can instill a sense of mom-guilt. However, parents need time away from their children to rest and recharge, too. Parenthood can be an exhausting and thankless job, especially if you have young children. Taking a day off once in a while helps you to be a better parent, and when you are rested, being excited to engage with your children becomes more natural. So, do what you need to do to find childcare, even if for just a half of a day, and take some time off.
Maybe all you need is a day, but in many instances, one day just isn’t enough. No matter the case, I would encourage you to try to take your day off on a Friday or a Monday to make your mental health day into a long weekend. I did this a few years ago when I was in the middle of a mental breakdown during the time when I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder. My husband saw that I clearly needed a break and arranged for childcare for my son and reserved an AirBnB for me for a three day weekend at the beach. The extra time was a huge blessing in my time of need!
How to Spend a Mental Health Day
So, you have the time off of work and/or your kids are being cared for. Now what? Getting distracted by things that aren’t beneficial to your mental health can be tempting. Having a plan in place before you take mental health days can help you make the most of your time and actually get the rest you need. I suggest making this plan before you have the need of a mental health day. Why stress about how to plan your mental health days when you are already feeling stressed and in need of rest?
Social media, email, and endless notifications on your phone are going to take away from the rest you need on a mental health day. You may not be able to turn off your phone completely, but you can minimize the distraction. You can change the settings of your phone to “do not disturb” for everyone except select phone contacts. I highly recommend doing this, and resist the temptation to go on social media and email. Consider what’s truly important to you for this one day, and eliminate all other distractions.
Next, plan your time. Consider getting some sun if the weather permits. Find an outdoor activity like hiking, a nature walk, or going to the beach. Studies show that moderate levels of sunlight is largely beneficial to your mental health. The sun can enhance your mood and improve your sleep. Getting a little extra sun on your day off could be just what you need.
I don’t recommend spending the day binge watching your favorite show or playing video games. Honestly, getting your face out of the artificial blue lights and off of your screen is going to allow for a more peaceful rest. Besides, being near your screens is just one step away from the digital distractions from which you’re trying to take a break.
Other than the ideas I’ve already suggested, you may find the following ideas restful:
- Meeting a friend for coffee
- Taking a nap
- Reading
- Crafting
- Cooking or baking
- Shopping
- Take a trip
- Go horseback riding
- Take a train
- Go on a boat ride/sail
- Go fishing
- Go for a bike ride
- Go to the spa
I also highly recommend taking this time off to get into the Word, pray, and reflect on your life. Having uninterrupted time for these activities can help to center your thoughts on God and gain direction for moving forward. Maybe your mental health is suffering because you need to change something about your life and you haven’t had the time and space to figure out what that change might need to be.
I highly recommend taking some time to do what I like to call “listening prayer.” That is where, instead of only praying at God, you pause and listen for his response. A few years ago, I wrote a blog post on how to pray in this way, so if that’s a new concept for you, I encourage you to start here. I like to journal as I pray, but you can pray in whatever way helps you connect to God.
As you are going about your day, I highly encourage spending some time in a space that will limit distractions. For example, if you’re at home trying to connect with God in your kitchen or bedroom, there’s always the temptation to get up and do a chore. I don’t know about you, but my house is always a mess, so it’s not a restful place to be. For me, I find going to a park, the beach, or a quiet coffee shop allows me to focus on connecting with God. Or, as another example, maybe you have a really restful space in your home where you just love to be, but you have people and pets vying for your attention. Can the animals be taken to a daycare/boarding facility and the people agree to leave you alone for the day?
Even if you don’t feel the need for a mental health day today, make a plan for how you will make it happen and how you will spend your time today so that you can just do it when the time is needed.
Here’s a recap:
- How will you get the time off of work?
- Who will watch your kids (or pets!)?
- How will you eliminate distractions?
- Where will you go?
- What will you do?
- Who will you see?
Thinking through these things now will help you have a restful day when you need one…or more!
Bethany Marinelli is an author and speaker out of Orlando, Florida. She also supports her husband, Andrew, in his auto repair business and homeschools her son, Arthur.
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