Why Every Day Should Be Mental Health Day

October 10, 2021, was World Mental Health Day, a day supported by the World Health Organization to bring awareness to mental health and create conversation around what we as a society can do to support mental health in others and ourselves. First Celebrated in 1992, the day has inspired programs internationally to educate, provide resources, and fund research on mental health.

But is one day enough to make a real difference? While COVID-19 put a spotlight on mental health as millions of people were advised to shelter in place, which included working from home, a gradual migration back to the office is raising questions concerning the future of work. A question that involves whether there will be a return to the “Coffee’s for closers only” atmosphere popularized in the 1992 film, “Glengarry Glen Ross” or, to use a more timely example, the one harkened by Morgan Stanley CEO, James Gorman, when he issued a stern warning to workers this past summer to get back to the office by Labor Day or there will be a “different kind of conversation” to be had.????

The backlash has been swift in general to the work-life balance of pre-pandemic years, which emphasized more work than life, and has spurred a mass exodus from pre-pandemic careers. Dubbed the Great Resignation of 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics reported that 4.3 million people quit their jobs in August alone.?

Many of those resignees are women, who were particularly hard-hit when the pandemic underscored the imbalance of power that exists in many households where, despite working outside the home, they tend to take on more than their fair share of household chores and childrearing responsibilities. In a great awakening, women are reevaluating such factors as commuting costs to work and daycare expenses and making career changes accordingly. ?

In many other ways, the reasons among those who have already resigned, men and women alike, appear to be similar irrespective of industry or how much money they were making before: they want life-work balance, not work-life balance. They want less stress, more time with family, and a chance to work in a career they love. More than anything else, people are casting a vote for themselves that they and their mental health and wellbeing matter.

Still, a true shift can take time. Taking a step toward change is one thing, making it stick another. And working remotely does not, by any stretch of the imagination, mean people aren’t working hard. In fact, many have found they are working longer hours than they were before. Because remote work means there are fewer outside constraints, such as specific hours of operation and a designated lunch, people need to be more vigilant than ever about prioritizing their mental health.?

Given that I started a remote law firm long before the pandemic made it a necessity, I have come up with a few ideas about how to protect my mental health as an owner and manager while doing the same for those on my team. My advice? Whether you are an employer or employee, regularly ask yourselves the following questions. ??

When should I take a mental health day?

The short answer is before you even need one. If you are in touch with how you are feeling physically and mentally and how your mind and body interact, you will likely already be using the personal time you have throughout the year rather than banking it for a later date or, worse still, not using the time at all and letting it lapse.

However, should you start seeing the following signs, it is not too late to do something about it, beginning with taking a mental health day (or a few days) immediately. Those signs are:

• Increased anxiety
• Feelings of sadness or depression
• Sleep deprivation?
• Brain fog
• Feeling physically sick often
• Irritability
• General malaise or exhaustion

Your body is a great communicator, but first, you have to listen to it. What is it telling you?

Should I tell my employer or my employees I am taking a mental health day?

The answer to this question is an emphatic yes. Tell your employer and the co-workers with whom you communicate often that you are, in fact, taking a mental health day. For starters, this will put your employer on notice to respect your time. Yes, this time belongs to you.?

Then draft an out-of-office message to automatically go out every time you receive an email. This way, those who don’t know you are off will be less inclined to contact you unless it is an absolute emergency and will understand you won’t be getting back to them that day, whether you’ve gone fishing or back to bed.?

Of course, it is better to schedule a mental health day in advance. That said, mental health knows no schedule. So if you find you need a mental health day, even at the last minute, by all means, take it, That is why companies offer them. And if for some reason your request is not well received, perhaps that should come as a signal to you that you are not working for the right company.?

What should I do on my mental health day?

Well, let me start out by saying what you shouldn’t do, which is work. A mental health day isn’t designed to be a day during which you catch up on work undisturbed by those at work. Or a day to do anything else aggravating like paying bills, cleaning your house, and doing laundry (unless these things are truly soothing to you, which, be honest with yourself, they probably aren’t), or fighting with angry relatives. You get the picture.?

What you should do on your mental health day is whatever will soothe your mind and body. It could mean taking a long drive somewhere new, walking around a quaint town and shopping, hiking, going for a walk, spending the day reading the book you have been waiting to open, or treating yourself to a nice lunch or dinner.?

On your mental health day, you are your own boss. So if you are not a boss at the office, definitely be one at home and a good boss at that. Remember, a good boss will recognize you need time off. Speaking of which...

How can my company better support mental health and should I offer feedback?

Bosses are people, too, and, therefore, aren’t perfect. And company cultures can lag behind the times. So if you find you have a boss or company that is out of touch with the people who work there and their mental health needs, speak up. Offer feedback. It is the only way those in charge can know.

It is also a way for you to know who exactly you work for and whether the company is somewhere you see yourself for the foreseeable future. An employer who truly values success will value not only professional success but also personal success because both go hand in hand. People who take care of themselves want the people on their teams to do the same because compassion and empathy are a two-way street. In other words, what is good for you, is good for them.?

If you find after offering your feedback the powers that be don’t value you, you the person, not just you the employee, consider taking your talents elsewhere. Hard work should never come at the expense of your mental health. Instead, we should all work hard to preserve each other’s wellbeing for our own good, our company’s, and the world we share with each other every day of the year. ?

If you're interested in learning more about Elise Buie Family Law Group and the possibility of joining our team, please check out our current job openings.

Elise Buie, Esq. is a Seattle-based family and divorce lawyer and founder of the Elise Buie Family Law Group. A champion for maintaining civility throughout the divorce process, Elise advocates for her clients and the best interests of their children, helping them move forward with dignity and from a position of strength.