It’s mental health awareness month, and we think it’s super important that we start doing these episodes more frequently. Mainly because it’s important to keep these conversations going and to hopefully destigmitize mental health. This episode, we’d like to focus on the importance of mental health days, their benefits and not having to have a reason why.

MENTAL HEALTH DAYS ARE THE NEW NORMAL

1. A lot of places of employment are realizing the benefits of providing employees with mental health days
2. Burnout is real, stress is real, depression and all of the other things that lead to needing a mental health day are very real, and most places are finally recognizing that fact.
3. There has been a lot of evidence that has shown employees are happier when companies give them sufficient time off… I have a few friends that get sabbaticals every few years now, and they have told me how beneficial it has been for both their productivity and their mental health.
4. You can plan them, or not
   • Most times, I never plan a mental health day. I just wake up and realize it’s needed so I can reset and continue to crush goals
   • Same, some days you just… need a day to hide and relax. The rat race moves quick, make sure you give yourself time to recover.
5. Know when you may need one
6. We covered the various stages of burnout in our last mental health check episode, but being cognizant of the signs is important. 
   • There are five stages.
7. If you’re feeling off, pay attention to that, if it isn’t getting any better, you may need a mental health day to focus on you. And that looks different for everyone. Maybe you just need to sleep all day, maybe you want to clean your house, or organize something. Whatever relaxes you or calms your nerves is what you can focus on

BENEFITS OF MENTAL HEALTH DAYS

1. A vacation from the day to day
2. Even if you love your job, or what you’re doing on a day to day basis, sometimes you just need a mental health day away from it all
   • FACT. I love my job. Love it. It’s a dream come true, however that doesn’t mean it doesn’t make me stressed or frustrated or burnt out sometimes, you’re human. It’s bound to happen, and when it does, don’t ignore it.
3. This goes for training AND for life
   • Sometimes a deload week isn’t enough when you’ve been on this journey for a long time. Diet breaks are good, gym breaks are good
   • With anything, there’s a balance. Taking a diet break or a gym break or a mental health day doesn’t mean you stop everything for a sustained period of time. You just take what you need and then pick back up
4. Rest and recovery if you’ve been doing too much
   • Again, this goes for training and for life. Sometimes you just need to sit and do nothing and let your brain roam free
   • This is why I love nature, you know how easy it is to turn your brain off when you’re looking at water, or trees, or animals, or whatever? The answer: super easy.
   • When you’re feeling down and out and just need to focus on nothing at all

YOU SHOULDN’T FEEL GUILTY BY ASKING FOR WHAT YOU NEED

1. You shouldn’t ever feel guilty for asking for what you need. Ever. Period.
   • We all have desires and needs, EVERYONE. You’re not a weirdo for asking for something that will improve your mental health. People should do that more often, to be honest.
2. Taking care of yourself helps you take care of everyone else.
   • You can’t fill a cup from a pitcher that’s empty, if your mental tank is empty, you won’t be properly equipped to help someone else if they need your attention.
3. No one is less of a person or weaker than anyone else just because they admit they’re struggling.

Mental health is just as important as physical health, and more often than not, they go hand in hand. Take those mental health days when you need them! They help build your snowman, too.