By now youve probably heard thatmental healthdays should be a part of your self-care arsenal.
For one, there are a million reasons why you might need a mental health day.
Maybe you dont love your job.
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Maybe youre coming off ahigh-stressproject and need to reset.
Or youre going through a breakup!
Or need to catch up on the mountain of errands weighing on your mind!
And truth be told, mental health days also require strategy.
Think of mental health days as a regular tune-upnot damage control.
But thats not always how it works.
And for some people, that always-on mode can lead toburnout.
At that stage, mental health days have a very different purpose and effect.
So make a run at think of mental health days as proactive rather reactive.
See them as nonnegotiable, the way you would jury duty or something similar.
Like I mentioned, unexpected factors such as illness and life events require taking a break sometimes.
Of course, there are practicalities to consider.
Plus, there will undoubtedly be times when you need a mental health day unexpectedly.
Even in that case, it might still be worth mentally planning ahead for when that happens.
You dont need to go into a ton of detail about it with your boss, either.)
Actually unplug from work.
If youre taking a mental health day, its likely youre feeling some sort of way about work.
But resist the urge to stay plugged in or stew.
Lavella recommends goingscreen-freeor roping in someone to keep you accountable.
Our culture is basically set up to make us feel that way.
Honor the need to do nothing.
On these days, Klow suggests monitoring your inner voice.
The essence of self-care is positive self-talk, he says.
When youre having a hard time, your inner voice needs to be loving and kind and supportive.
Dont beat yourself up.
Remind yourself you deserve a break.
Connect with other people.
Personally, Ive used mental health days to catch up with long-distance friends by writing them emails or letters.
Even beingaroundother people can be beneficial.
Depending on where you live, this might be easier said than done.
But letting nature nurture you doesnt have to look like going on an exhaustinghikeor immersing yourself in the wilderness.
you’re able to also just find a park or go to a botanical garden.
Tackle your to-do list.
Sometimes you need a day to handle the things youre not handling.
If you havent noticed, the essence of a good mental health day is often connection.
Anything that stretches a different sort of muscle that you dont regularly get to exercise at work.
Remember mental health days arent all-or-nothing.
As great as mental health days are, remember that theyre not going to work miracles.
And when that inevitably doesnt happen, your mental health will take that hit of disappointment.
Instead, keep your expectations in check and dont put too much pressure on these days.
They are only little scoops of wellness, says Klow.
You have to make a practice out of it.
