Recommendation: take a mental health day 

A “mental health day” involves taking a day off from work and dedicating that whole day to restoring mental and emotional health.  It’s an opportunity for self care and to recover from stress, overwork, or burnout. 

Americans need to take a vacation from work

Did you know that according to a study released by the U.S. Travel Association in 2018, Americans left 768 million days of paid time off unused?  On average, 55 percent of Americans did not use all their paid vacation time.

We spend a lot of time at work.  Americans spend an average of 1800 hours at work per year, totaling about 90,000 hours of work during their lifetime.   Numerous studies show that job stress is by far the major source of stress for American adults and that it has escalated progressively over the past few decades.

According to reports done by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Attitudes in the American Workplace:

• 80% of workers feel stress on the job, nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress
• 40% of workers reported their job was very or extremely stressful
• 25% view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives
• 75% of employees believe that workers have more on-the-job stress than a generation ago
• 26% of workers said they were often or very often burned out or stressed by their work
• Job stress is more strongly associated with health complaints than financial or family problems

Taking a break from work can be like pressing a reset button.  It can help people be more productive when they return to business.  

A different kind of “vacation”

Taking a day off work to dedicate time to restore mental and emotional health may be a different kind of vacation than taking a trip to Europe for example, but it has so many potential benefits that it’s absolutely worth the effort.  It can enhance emotional resilience and help relieve anxiety, depression, and stress.  Reducing stress can help increase productivity and creativity at work when you return to work.  Taking time for self care benefits you and the people who rely on you.  

What to do on a “mental health day”

It depends.  What brings you joy?  What relaxes you?  This is such an individual matter.  Doing something that you enjoy or relaxes you are great choices for a mental health day.  Another possibility is to work on unfinished projects or create something new.  Or perhaps you just need to catch up on your sleep or need time to organize your thoughts.   If you’re struggling coming up with ideas, please refer to the articles below that have several suggestions for activities that increase happiness and decrease stress.  

Guilt-free

Give yourself permission to take some time for yourself without guilt.  If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of self care, remember that when you’re stressed and overwhelmed, it affects every facet of your life.  When you’re at your best, it empowers you to better serve others.  Also please remember that you have intrinsic value.  Care for yourself with the same tenderness that you would give to a friend because you’re worth it!