Three Benefits
By Jo Phillips
Three benefits of taking a day off for your mental health
Whether it’s work, family, or something in your personal life – the many stresses of living can sometimes take their toll. That’s why it’s important to find a balance between working hard and helping others, and taking time for yourself. Taking a mental health day off from work or school and minimising your commitments and responsibilities for that day is a good way to find that balance, and comes with a variety of its own benefits that we’ve outlined below.
Relieve stress
Managing stress is a common part of most people’s lives. Something that’s even more difficult to deal with for those that suffer from anxiety or depression. Taking a quick break to get some respite can help you bring your stress levels down, and reset ready for the week ahead. Choosing an activity that you find relaxing and gives you time away from your thoughts, can significantly reduce these feelings of being overwhelmed.
Get a fresh perspective
Being up close with your issues all the time, can make it difficult to deal with what’s actually happening, and can sometimes lead you to spiral even further out of control. Relinquishing your responsibilities for the day and getting a fresh perspective on the issues you’re currently dealing with can give you a chance to get out of your own head, and distract you from your thoughts for a little while. Travelling is a great way to get some new scenery, and taking a train around the UK is an easy hack for getting out and about, without having to go too far in one day.
Prevent burnout
A form of exhaustion caused by constantly feeling swamped and overwhelmed, the pandemic has seen cases of burnout skyrocket. While it’s typically related to work, being in a heightened emotional state for a long period without respite can be caused by other factors as well. Spotting the signs of burnout like decreased motivation or performance, physical or mental exhaustion, and negative thoughts about yourself and others, is a good way to see it coming and plan ahead. Recognising then when burnout is about to happen, is a good trigger point to take a mental health day to recuperate.
Taking a mental health day can provide a much-needed break to pause and reassess. Whether you want to relieve stress, get a fresh perspective, or prevent burnout, minimising your commitments for 24 hours can help you come back with greater levels of energy, ready to take on what lies ahead.
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