5 Signs You Need a Mental Health Day
In a world so crazy and a life so busy, it is more important than ever to focus on your mental health. You probably have loads of work to do, family to tend to, relationships to pour into, and everything else that simply living entails. It’s A LOT. Managing all of that, on top of the balancing act that it is to be well physically, can feel so overwhelming and stressful. Mental health is one of the most important things to give our attention to, but yet it seems to be the last place we put our energy and focus.
There are so many indications in your day to day life that your mental health might be suffering, but they are easy to misunderstand and definitely easy to dismiss. It sometimes feels easier to blow by all those flashing neon signs, than to acknowledge that you need to take a break. But friend, let me tell you, it will catch up to you. If you don’t give yourself the mental health day you need, your mental health will take what it needs. If you are wanting a little push in knowing when it’s time to take a much-needed break for mental self-care, I am here to help! Keep reading for 5 signs that YOU need a mental health day.
1. Burnout
Are you feeling tired ALL the time? Not just tired, like, exhausted. You go to sleep at a normal hour, wake up after a long night’s sleep – but still feel exhausted? That may be an indication that you are experiencing burnout. Sometimes when you are burning the candle at both ends, it doesn’t matter how much you are sleeping, what nutritious food you are eating, or how hard you are working to manage your stress – the burnout is all-consuming and needs to be tended to. Taking a mental health day to sit with yourself and truly take good care of your mental health is the best possible treatment for burnout.
Take a day off from work, responsibilities and commitments. Think about a few things that you enjoy doing that only relieve stress, not create it. Whether that be to lay in bed, eat chocolate and binge your favorite show, or go for a long day trip in the great outdoors and let off some steam in nature – filling up your happiness cup is the focus. Between work, the stress of life and everything that entails, we are constantly draining our cup. Giving and giving of our time and energy. Taking a day for your mental health is pouring into yourself, instead.
If you are suffering from burnout, taking a day for your mental health can be exactly what you need to come back restored and full of life and energy.
2. Struggling to find joy.
Are there things you used to love to do that are just not bringing your joy like they used to? Sometimes when our mental health is struggling, we struggle to find joy and contentment if the ways we used to. For example, if being around family and friends is usually how you decompress, but now it feels like it sucks your energy, you might need to take a step back and focus on YOU. If you usually find simple joy in playing games or doing puzzle, but now it just doesn’t sound appealing – you may need to take a pause and restore yourself and your mind. If your absolute favorite outlet and source of happiness is going to a workout class, but you suddenly feel zero motivation to do that – you need to listen to those feelings and recharge.
Once you take a day (or even two) to focus on your mental health, the things that you truly love might actually feel fulfilling again. What has now become lackluster, will light your fire again!
3. Home life is suffering
Sometimes when you are most in need of a mental health day, the first place that suffers is in your own home. Sometimes that means you are struggling to get along with your spouse or roommates, and sometimes it means you are just struggling to accomplish your normal household tasks. What once felt so manageable; chores, cooking dinner, or taking care of the kids, now feels so insurmountable. You feel unmotivated and uninspired to stay on top of all the household tasks the way you normally do. These are all huge signs that you are in need of a mental health day.
Are you short-tempered and irritable, and seem to be taking it out on anyone and everyone else around you? If that isn’t your “norm” and those around you are starting to wonder what in the world is going on, you should think about turning inward and assessing your mental health. Sometimes when we have so much mental and emotional fatigue, we lose patience and grace for those around us. Once you take a mental health day to relieve some of your stress and tension, it will free up some of your bandwidth for the people around you AND your ability to keep up with household duties.
4. Work life is suffering
A really common and tell-tale sign that you need a mental health day, is your inability to perform at work the way you usually do. I get it, you are committed to your work, not wanting to take any days off or slow down. You want to meet the mark and never fall short. It matters to you, and it should. But if YOU are struggling and your work is struggling as a result – no one is winning. It takes emotional awareness to recognize when you need to pause for mental self-care and shows great mental strength to make that call.
Hopefully the people you work for and with will honor that and respect your choice to take a mental health day. They are of the utmost importance, after all. And if you are your own boss, give yourself that same grace! Let yourself off the hook and understand that you can’t do it ALL, all of the time.
5. Constantly overwhelmed
Life can be A LOT sometimes. There is so much to juggle, a million things to think about and somehow, we are all expected to manage it all gracefully and make it look easy. Most of the time, when you’re at your best, you probably CAN juggle it all. You plate is full, but just full enough for you to carry and still lead a happy and healthy life. But when your normal life starts to feel too hard and heavy to carry, it may be an indication that something’s gotta give.
When we are truly well mentally, physically and emotionally, small and typically easy tasks are exactly that; easy. Big decisions and moves aren’t paralyzing, and you feel like you can accomplish all that you need to. When we are in need of a mental health day, that isn’t the case. If you are starting to feel overwhelmed on a daily basis, especially by things that didn’t use to overwhelm you, it’s definitely time for a mental health day.
Is it time for you to take a mental health day?
If any or all of these signs hit home for you, you know what I’m going to say. Take that mental health day.
For me, a mental health day looks like this: a lot of relaxing with my dog, eating yummy plant-based food that enriches me AND tastes good, laying low at home with a book or a puzzle, getting outside for a walk to breath some fresh air, or enjoying some quality time with my husband.
No matter what your mental health day looks like, when you feel your mind and body screaming at you to take it – take it. Chances are, you will come back refreshed, recharged, motivated and just happier and more at ease than you were before.