HOT TO GET THE MOST FROM A PERSONAL DAY

If you work for a company where you’re allotted some personal days, then you owe it to yourself to use them… and to use them wisely. As sure as stress affects us all in the workplace, getting the most out of your personal days is one way to combat stress levels that become too high to manage.

To help plan your next mental health day, here’s a guide to everything you should—and shouldn’t—do next time you need to take a break from it all.

Is it Really OK to Take ‘Mental Health Day’?

The first step in maximizing your personal day off is to give yourself permission to take it in the first place. Despite public awareness of mental health issues and the importance of mind-body-spirit balance, many employees still feel a little guilty about calling in for a personal day.

It’s no wonder. Mental health days are still regarded with suspicion by many bosses. In fact, a survey taken in the UK revealed that a disheartening 69 percent of bosses didn’t think mental health was a good enough reason to take time off from work!

But trust us on this one: you don’t have to be suffering a fever of 101 or coughing nonstop in order to justify a personal day. Most mental health experts would agree that taking a break is good for our wellbeing. More people suffer from stress and anxiety than most people even realize, and the occasional day off to recharge and replenish can go a long way towards easing the symptoms of those conditions.

How to Tell When You Need a Break

The best way to make sure you’re not wasting your personal day is to only take one when it’s needed. A certain level of workplace stress is to be expected. Unless your job is petting cats or staring at puppies, stress is normal in the workplace.

It’s when you simply can’t manage the stress any longer and the signs are starting to show. Your performance suffers, you can’t control your emotions, or you just can’t focus. Feeling numb, like you don’t care anymore is also one way people exhibit symptoms of high-stress levels.

These are good telltale signs that maybe it’s time for a personal day to reboot your system.

What Not to Do on Your Personal Day Off

If you’ve made the call to your boss and nabbed yourself a personal day off, try and spend your time in a constructive way. Numbing yourself with an eight-hour Netflix binge may seem tempting, but it might not be the best use of your time.

It’s probably safe to say, however, that no matter who you are, unhealthy activities aren’t going to replenish much at all. That goes for drinking and, for some, isolation.

For some, especially those who characterize themselves as introverts, some time alone might be in order. For others, however, isolation may not be what they need to recharge themselves. Deciding how to spend your day is a personal decision and no two people recharge in exactly the same way.

Try Something Different

What is it that you feel is needed on your day off? Maybe it’s to reconnect with a friend or a family member. In that case, book a lunch date. Maybe it’s to escape the mundane and broaden your horizons? Museums are great for that. Maybe it’s your body that needs recharging. An outdoor workout can reset not just your body but your mind and soul, too. How about a nice, refreshing, hour-long walk someplace nice?

These are only a few ideas to get your mind started on crafting the perfect mental health day. Next time the stress levels just seem like too much, don’t hesitate to call in and reset yourself.