What is a mental health day?

A mental health day is a day you take off from school or work, and minimise any commitments or responsibilities. It’s a chance to instead use this time to focus on relaxing, having fun, relieving stress, and preventing burnout.

While one day may not solve underlying problems that lead to burnout, a mental health day off work can provide a much-needed break to pause, reflect and come back with greater levels of energy and a fresh, less-stressed perspective.

How do I know if I need a mental health day?

Significant life changes and increased workload can lead us to feeling overwhelmed and burned out. If you're not feeling like yourself, and you dread performing your day-to-day tasks, chances are you are experiencing some burnout.

Feeling increasingly unmotivated, physically exhausted or clouded by negative thoughts about yourself or others are all signs that it might be time to take some time away from school or work.

It’s also important to consider the implications of taking a mental health day, and whether or not it would be beneficial. There are times when it can lead to school or workplace avoidance, which can just make stress and burnout worse. Here’s some things to think about when deciding whether or not to take a mental health day.

How do I ask for a mental health day?

If you don’t feel comfortable disclosing that you need a mental health day, asking for time off can be done in a few ways:

• Call in sick: Some schools or workplaces will require evidence of needing personal leave - if this is the case, most GPs will be happy to provide you with a medical certificate, and can be as vague as noting a ‘medical condition.’ It’s up to you whether you want your GP to disclose the reasons for your absence, and how you have the conversation with your school or employer is up to you.
• Use your time off: Plan to use your annual leave without giving a reason. You can say, "I’ll be using my leave," and it's not necessary to disclose the purpose.
• Schedule on a day off: You don't have to share the reason if someone asks; simply say, "I'll be seeing family" or "I'll just be getting some stuff done at home." 

What should I do on my mental health day?

When your body feels exhausted, it's a clear signal that you need rest. If the idea of another tough day at work is daunting, maybe it's time to add some fun to your life. However, when you're overwhelmed, it might be harder to recognize what you truly need.

Mental health days will look different for everyone - it could be visiting a medical or mental health professional, spending time with family or friends, or self-care activities like a beauty treatment, chilling out in front of the TV, exercising, writing or art.

Discovering what self-care looks like for others can also be helpful - search the self-care tag on OurHerd for self-care inspiration from young Aussies.

Take a moment to think: Do you need tension relief right now? Or should you focus on making changes for future stress relief? Perhaps spending time with a loved one or a change of scenery would help. Remember, different stressors call for different responses, and various types of mental health days cater to specific needs.

Things to avoid:

• Checking your school or work emails - stay logged off!
• Other people, if they interfere with your need to recharge
• Spending all day doom-scrolling on social media
• Ruminating or wallowing in negative emotions - if you are finding it difficult to switch off from the negative emotions, it could be a sign that chatting to a friend or mental health professional is a good idea.

What if I need more than one day?

Taking more than one day off for mental health is okay and necessary at times. If you need a break, communicate openly with your employer or school. You may want to also bring up your concerns with your doctor, or talk to a mental health professional.

Prevention is key, so look for ways to keep stress levels low that work for you. A mental health day can be useful occasionally, but you should also aim to make time for rest and prioritise your mental health every day. 

We also want to acknowledge that not everyone is in the position to take a day off for their mental health, which is why free, accessible preventative resources and crisis support services are so important.