How to Take An Effective Mental Health Day

Take the Time.

Everyone has to deal with varying levels of stress. This can be particularly difficult to manage if you also have symptoms of depression and anxiety When you feel like your stress levels have reached their peak, it might be time to take a quick break to reset.

Sometimes taking a mental health day—a day off that's specifically geared toward stress relief and burnout prevention—is the best thing you can do for yourself. While one day might not solve heavy underlying problems that lead to burnout, a mental health day can provide a much-needed break to pause, regroup, and come back with greater levels of energy and a fresh, less-stressed perspective.

Take a Day

Once you have decided to take a mental health day, the question then becomes "when and how?"

The best way to avoid feeling stressed about taking a day off is to schedule a day off ahead of time, ensuring that you've taken steps to rearrange your workload or find a replacement for the day. However, if you wake up in the morning and just feel that you can't face the stress of the day, this may be a good time to take a mental health day and make the most of it.

The decision of when to take a mental health day really depends on your personal situation. If your employer is supportive and you are comfortable sharing your reasons, feel free to plan a mental health day out in advance. If you don't want to divulge your reasons for taking a day or if your employer is less understanding, don't feel obligated to share.