How To: Take A Mental Health Day
How To: Tips for Living
With the busyness of our lives it doesn’t take much to feel tired, stressed and overwhelmed. Often our weekends or days off of school or work are filled with even more shoulds and to’do’s than allow for us to actually rest and recover both physically and emotionally. If you think you can not afford to use a sick day just because you don’t feel like doing life’s responsibilities, I’m here to give you and / or your kids permission to play hooky!
Taking a “Mental Health Day” once every few weeks to months is the ideal for optimal performance. The frequency you need will depend on a number of factors. How busy you are on weekends. It also depends on your personality type. Different people require more time to recharge than others.
If you are not already allowing these days off for yourself, my guess is you have some unresolved blocks around laziness and shame. Believe me when I tell you that taking the occasional day to do absolutely “nothing” will boost your productivity in the long run. Nothing will look different to many people. My husband Vince has no problem laying out soaking up the sun for hours on end. Now he is the hardest working person I know in the day to day grind, but he can truly enjoy just being. I, on the other hand, need to be doing “something”. Otherwise, I will start having random guides spark conversations with me. My something / nothing might include indulging in a fiction book, playing around with the plants, birdwatching or maybe even binge watching a series.
Top tip for having a successful Mental Health Day is first to let go of any expectations.
Throw out the agenda. Do what feels right in each moment. The best plan is no plan. Allow for flow, letting each moment unfold. Get a spontaneous desire to write or do arts and crafts? Do it. Your soul will let you now what it needs.
Unplug and set your auto responders. It’s never too late to train people, family and even clients to respect boundaries on when you will respond to voicemails, texts or emails. (This is a great practice to implement even when you are on the clock. Set defined response times and include it in your signatures.)
Truly allow the single day to let go of what can be done tomorrow. Unless it gives you joy, do not do any chores or things off your to do list. Perhaps you like organizing your closet or ridding the playroom of toys your children have outgrown. In that case purge on my friend. But, the moment it starts to feel like a project you “have” to do, stop it.
If the next day you do not wake up rest & recharged, ready to tackle the world, there may be some bigger issues at play. Set aside some time for yourself on your calendar right away to give you something to look forward to. Meanwhile, reach out! Let’s talk through what might be affecting you on a deeper level.
Blessings & Hugs, ~Beth
