It's finally here! One of our favorite three day weekends and highly anticipated. It's technically the last summer weekend before the fall arrives. If you've been working all summer, this weekend is valuable to spend time with family, take a break, and especially care for your mental health.
Everyone must deal with stress to varied degrees. Managing this can be particularly challenging if you are simultaneously experiencing anxiety or depressive symptoms. It might be time to take a brief pause to reset when you feel your stress levels have peaked.
An absence from work or school and a reduction in commitments or responsibilities constitute a mental health day. You can utilize this time to concentrate on de-stressing, unwinding, enjoying yourself, and avoiding burnout. While one day may not be enough to address the complex underlying issues that cause burnout, taking a mental health day can provide you the much-needed opportunity to pause, reflect, and return to work with more vigor and a less-stressed outlook.
During this Labor Day, take the time to de-stress. This post will share with you how you can take a mental break during labor day.
Let's begin!
Benefits of a Mental Health Day
Your regular jobs and responsibilities can easily make you feel overburdened. You could become worn out if your responsibilities as a parent, a spouse, a family member, or a friend are constantly expected of you.
It's critical to give yourself space to:
Clear your mind
Have fun and do things you enjoy
Improve the quality of your sleep
Organize your feelings
Encourage relaxation
Lessen Stress
How to Spend Your Mental Health Day
This decision is sometimes obvious; if you're worn out, your body will be screaming for rest. Or perhaps you just need to have some fun if you feel like you can't handle another day of hard work. However, you might not be as conscious of your demands if you're feeling overloaded.
Think about it for a moment: Who could use some stress relief the most? Or from implementing some adjustments that will lessen stress in the future? Several moments with a loved one? Or merely a shift in scenery? Different forms of mental health days serve certain purposes just as various situations necessitate various responses.
Things to Avoid
There are certain things you want to avoid during this mental health break. Taking a day for mental health frequently entails relaxing. That could entail lounging around the house doing nothing while watching TV in your jammies for hours. That is acceptable as long as this is not routine. Some activities can require a small amount of preparation up front yet feel incredibly soothing once they're finished.
You can attempt a variety of things, like:
Going to a yoga class
Meditation
Being massaged
Reading a book
Touring a museum
Going for a nature walk
The idea is to spend time engaging in a soothing activity, whether it's going on a hike, touring a museum, or just relaxing with a nice book.
Factors to Avoid:
If other people make it difficult for you to recharge, let them know.
Smoking, drinking, or using other drugs
Eating too many unhealthy foods
Ruminating or dwell in unfavorable feelings
Viewing social media posts for the entire day
Take a Break
Expecting to handle all of this in one day is unrealistic. Utilize your mental health day as an opportunity to examine, plan, and prepare for making significant changes in your life. It's possible this 3-day weekend might not be enough or you do work! If that is the case, you'll have to take extra care.
Consider having a staycation or vacation if you're worried that your overall stress levels require more than simply a mental wellness day. You can also wonder if you're about to burn out.
Additionally, you might wish to discuss your worries with your doctor or seek the advice of a mental health expert in addition to using online resources. There are many steps that can be taken to help.
Final Thoughts
It's not easy to find time for yourself. It is important to make it a priority though. Whether it's during Labor Day or any other day, a mental health break can benefit you in the long run. There is no shame in it either. You deserve a break!
Find techniques to manage your stress so that you don't suddenly find yourself in need of an emergency mental health day one morning. An occasional mental health day might be helpful, but you should also make an effort to prioritize your mental health every day.