How to Take a Mental Health Day

Taking care of our mental health has been increasingly accepted and destigmatized in society. Many companies and organizations allow for employees to use sick time for mental health care. While we all could use a day off to do errands, chores, catch up on doctor’s appointments, etc. and be productive so we can get our to-do list items checked off and not have chores piled up on the weekend, those are errand days, not mental health days. A mental health day looks a lot different.

What a Mental Health Day is Not

Many people take a mental health day and either use it as an errand day, or spend it with their children, partner, or other family members, not focusing on their own needs - this is what the weekend and vacations are for! Sometimes mental health days are squandered by doing things that don’t nourish your body, mind, and soul.

Mental health days are not:

Caregiving or focusing on someone else’s needs
An escape from reality
Feeling sorry for yourself and dwelling
Laying on the couch all day aimlessly without intention
Zoning out and wasting time
Feeding into depression, shame, or guilt
Doom scrolling on social media, comparing yourself to others
Feeling frustrated after the fact that your mental health didn’t improve

You are allowed to lie on the couch, watch TV, and take a nap. But make it intentional. If you want to feel restful and your intention is to sleep, that’s great. But be careful that it doesn’t turn into a day where you stay in bed all day feeling sorry for yourself or feel isolated or guilty about not doing something more. Be mindful of what is mentally going on - is it emotionally benefitting you or is it escapism? When you don’t expose yourself to anything positive or nourishing, it doesn’t nurture your wellbeing, emotionally benefit you, or balance your mental health.

What a Mental Health Day Is

This time you carve out for yourself is sacred. It is a day solely dedicated to nourishing you. A day to reset your mental and emotional health. This is a way to disconnect from work and other stressors of life, but it is not escapism from reality altogether. It’s about getting in touch with yourself, listening to your needs, and doing things that restore balance to your life.

Set the Intention for the Day

Don’t go into your mental health day haphazardly. Think of it as a date with yourself, not just waking up and thinking “what am I going to do today?” and falling into bad habits. Go in with intention. It doesn’t necessarily have to be structured, but it should be intentional and mindful.

Think ahead about what you need and what will serve you. What do you want to gain from the day and the experience? Do you want to relieve stress and tension? Do you need rest? Do you want to feel pampered? What are you listening to? What are you absorbing? Who are you communicating with or seeing that day? Do all of it with intention and only allow positive things to permeate through you.

What to Do During the Day

Plan ahead and schedule something for yourself to treat or pamper yourself. Everyone’s mental health day will look different because we are all different people with different needs. Just plan to do things that feel good to you - things of leisure that bring joy or relaxation and contribute positively to your mental and emotional health. However you spend your day, be careful to not feel guilty about it. You are giving yourself a gift that nourishes your self, heart, and mind.

Mindfulness: Just notice what you are doing throughout the day and practice mindfulness. If you can, turn off distractions like your phone or the TV (if that’s not part of your plan) and give yourself peace. Be present in the moment and if you are able, allow yourself to not answer the phone. Let your partner or a friend know that you’re going to turn your phone off for an hour, the afternoon, or the whole day. It’s ok to set those kinds of boundaries. This allows you to be fully present so you can listen to what your mind, body, and soul are telling you.

Food: When you eat, make sure the food you consume is nourishing. Be mindful of your meal - slow down and think about the flavors and textures.

Music: Plan ahead and create a playlist. Is the music you’re listening to positive? Are you enjoying it in the moment and really listening to it?

Clothing: Wear whatever you want to wear that day. You can wear something that makes you feel attractive or good about yourself, even if you’re not going to an event. If you are staying home, it doesn’t have to be a pajama day. But it can be! Because you set the intention. Think about what will make you feel good and decide it with intention.

Socializing: Connect with someone you want to see who is a healthy positive support. Think about who uplifts you and makes you feel good about yourself. You can meet up for lunch, go for a walk, or talk on the phone. Avoid engaging with people who add stress or toxicity.

Some ideas to help you set your intention for the day…

Don’t overload your day!

Taking things slow is an important part of having a successful mental health day. Having things planned to look forward to sets the tone of positivity, but don’t overschedule and wear yourself out. Slow down your pace and don’t run so fast. Throughout the day, be mindful of how you feel. If you need to take things off of your list or change your plans, that’s OK. Be flexible, listen to your body and mind, and honor how you feel.

Prioritizing Mental Health Every Day

After your mental health day, or as part of it at the end of the day, reflect on what aspects of your day you can incorporate into your life moving forward. At work, can you slow down during lunch and eat more mindfully? Maybe once a week you go for a walk in nature by yourself. Or perhaps you schedule monthly massages. Take a little bit of your mental health day and put that piece into other parts of your life. How can you sustain these sensations moving forward and always have something to look forward to?

If you are struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, or just feeling overwhelmed in general, therapy can help regain balance in your life. You deserve to nourish your body, mind, and soul. Dr. Heather Violante provides teletherapy (online video therapy) to adults living in Florida and New York, as well as all PsyPact enrolled states (listed below). Contact her online or call (754) 333-1484 to request a HIPAA compliant online therapy session.

Offering Online Therapy in 42 States

I am a licensed psychologist in the states of Florida and New York. Additionally, I have Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) from the PSYPACT Commission. I provide telehealth (online video therapy) to adults living in the 42 participating PSYPACT states listed below. For a list of current PSYPACT participating states, please visit the PSYPACT website at: https://www.psypact.org/psypactmap.

PsyPact enrolled states:
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming