3 Reasons You Should Take a Mental Health Day
By: Nicole Pyles
With news about the coronavirus going around like crazy, it can be hard to think of our mental health in addition to worrying about our physical health. We're all being encouraged to wash our hands more, stay home if we don't feel good, and bring home a few extra non-perishable goods. However, your health is far more than physical. It's mental too. Here are a few reasons to take a mental health day (your mental health and physical health will thank you for it) -
1) You aren't sleeping enough.
In the midst of a stressful work week, the idea of sleep can be so distant and impossible. Maybe you are running through your to do list at night. Maybe you are working through the wee hours of the morning. If you aren't getting enough sleep, your physical health and your mental health take a toll.
Take a day to get extra sleep. Sleeping in and going to be extra early will help you restore your internal energy.
2) You are feeling edgy.
It can't always be easy to spot, but pay close attention to those moments where you are feeling less than patient. Maybe you snapped at the cashier for not being fast enough. Maybe you cut someone off in traffic. Maybe you sent in an email with a bit too much "snark" in the tone. Those moments can be signs you are hitting your limits.
This is when you need a day to relax, shut off the outside annoyances, and be still for a while. Avoid doing errands or anything that you "have" to do. Ignore that to do list for once and let yourself just be.
3) You've been putting something off (and feeling anxious about it).
Maybe you find yourself anxiously thinking about the appointment you need to make, without ever actually making it. Or maybe you want to do your taxes on time (for once). Maybe you have been neglecting a few self-care appointments for a while. Things can add up and you may be giving yourself more anxiety than you need to by ignoring the necessary things.
Take a day to schedule a couple of appointments you've been putting off. You can also take the day to take care of a few errands that have been looming. Doing things like this can have a tremendously positive effect on your mental health and can eliminate unnecessary anxiety.
So, as you are encouraged to keep an eye on your physical health, don't forget to pay attention to your mental health as well. Think of it as a way of refueling your internal resource to give you energy and patience for everything else in your life.
Nicole Pyles is a freelance writer living in Portland, Oregon. She currently works as a Blog Tour Manager for WOW! Women on Writing. Be sure to say hi to her on Twitter @BeingTheWriter and read her latest blog project, Lady Unemployed, where she shares unemployment stories.