How to Take a Guilt-Free Mental Health Day

How to Take a Guilt-Free Mental Health Day

You’ve hit your breaking point. The project isn’t going as you planned. Your boss is driving you crazy. And if you get one more email over the weekend demanding your attention...you just may throw your computer across the room.

Been there. May have done that.

If this sequence of events sounds all too familiar – it’s probably time for a mental health day, my friend.

But you probably already knew that.

The problem is we ALL know we need to take a mental health day every once in a while, but we often don’t take one until it’s too late. Ya know, when we’re ready to throw our computers against the wall.

So, what gives? If we know we need a break, why don’t we take one? 

For one, we feel guilty. We start listening to our inner critic - Critical Cathy - and hear her saying,

“You’re weak. No one else has to take a mental health day.”

“If you take a day off, you won’t look dedicated.”

“You want that promotion? The only way to get it is to work yourself to the BONE!”

“You don’t actually deserve to take a day off.”

She’s a mean one, isn’t she?

Let’s be clear: You are not weak because you need a mental health day. You aren’t going to not get a promotion because you take one day off. And you aren’t a bad person or an undedicated employee just because you are creating boundaries.

Phew. Now that we’ve covered that, here’s how to take a mental health day that is not only fun – but also guilt-free:

WHEN TO TAKE ONE

This is the #1 mistake ambitious career women make: they wait until they are already burnt out to take a mental health day. Instead, plan for it. We recommend that you plan for at least one mental health day per quarter. If you have a flexible vacation policy at your company, take off one day a month! Truly, one day a month is not a crazy amount. Think about how many hours you spend at your office...it’s healthy to take a break.

So, take a look at your calendar. Pick at least 4 days in the next year that you can request for time off. Mark it on your calendar, let your boss know, and feel confident that you’re creating a rhythm of rest.

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To read the full article, head on over to the blog.

Great share, Jena!

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William Potter

LinkedIn "Top Resume Writing Voice" | Expert Resume Writer | Job Search Dream Maker | 1-800-730-3244

2 个月

Very interesting. LinkedIn is an excellent place for information and professional resources.

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Henry Klauke

Chief Operations Officer of Golden Mastermind Seminars, Inc.

4 年

yep, I've been there! too bad I didn't have this excellent article to guide me through it ?? thanks for sharing, Jena

LOVE this! So helpful, thank you for sharing.

Amrita Sihota, CHRP

Human Resources Business Partner

4 年

Thanks for sharing!

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