You don’t have to be at your breaking point—or on the verge of burnout—to take time off. In fact, it’s better to step away from work before this happens.
“If you wait until you are at a point of burnout to take care of your mental health, you are waiting until you are flooded with the effects of burnout and exhaustion, which requires more time to recover,” says mental health counselor GinaMarie Guarino.
However, 19 percent of women tell InHerSight that they only feel comfortable taking a mental health day when “their mental health significantly impacts [their] ability to work effectively.” Additionally, 15 percent say that workload coverage—finding someone to cover work tasks while out—is one of their biggest considerations when taking time off.
For some, taking a mental health day can be more stressful than relaxing. Depending on your workplace, you may be required to create an out-of-office plan, reassign projects to someone else, or clear your day, which is jam-packed with meetings. The break, even with the best of intentions, can be disruptive and increase your workload upon return.
So is one mental health day every six months really the way to go? Or is there a better way to incorporate mental health into your everyday lifestyle that keeps you from reaching maximum capacity?
Making every day a mental health day: 3 ways to prioritize your wellbeing
1. Routinely assess your mental health
Taking a day off for self-care can be beneficial and restorative, but you also need to prioritize your mental health on a day-to-day basis. Even if your to-do list is exceptionally long (whose isn’t?) Guarino recommends daily “mental health check-ins.”
Yes, daily. Even if you don’t think you have time for this, you’ll want to make time for it.
A check-in doesn’t have to be long. You can do it during your morning cup of coffee or on a mid-morning walk, or you can take a midday break and find a comfortable space to sit. The goal of the check-in is to separate yourself from your day-to-day stressors. Close your computer, put your phone down, step away from your family, and take the time to review your thoughts, feelings, and stress level. On a scale of 1 to 10, where are you today? Where would you like to be tomorrow?
Psychotherapist and author Nicole Arzt suggests asking the following questions:
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How is your body feeling?
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Are you feeling more sluggish than usual? Achy?
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Are you experiencing sleep problems?
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Do you feel completely apathetic or disconnected from work?
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What do you really need right now?
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What does “tomorrow you” need “today you” to do?
“The mind and body are inherently connected, so if your body is holding onto stress, it may be a sign of deeper psychological distress,” Arzt explains.
Also, if you’re having a hard time finding breaks in your day or if you’re overwhelmed by tasks and unable to step away from work due to anxiety, these could be signs that you’re nearing burnout, Guarino says.
2. Establish your top priorities
Take some time to evaluate your personal values, Guarino suggests. This could be very specific or very broad and include things like family, personal growth, balance, spirituality, or being compassionate.
To determine your top values, ask yourself:
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What’s most important to you?
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What do you wish you had time for?
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What are your top priorities right now, in this season of your life? Is it family? Work?
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How can I allocate more time to these values? What do I need to prioritize? What can I let go of?
“Do some soul-searching,” Guarino suggests. Once you determine your top values, figure out how you’ll incorporate them into your life—and what that looks like in practice. If, for example, family is at the top of your list, you may want to allocate a set amount of time each day to spending uninterrupted time with your child or spouse (not on your phone and not doing house chores).
It helps to shift mindset from a simple “treat yourself” mentality into a more sustainable self-care practice, Arzt suggests, as self-care isn't about instant gratification. It's about learning how to engage in deliberate activities that promote a sense of self-compassion and internal safety. The more you can prioritize living in this way, the more regulated you will feel—and this, in turn, will support positive mental health.
Doing a guided meditation one time is great, but can you do it again and again? Maybe you decide you’ll get up at 5 a.m. before your children to exercise or journal or spend time outside. But is this a routine you can maintain on a daily basis? If not, consider something else, something more practical.
3. Take time off, even if it’s hard—especially then
“Taking mental health breaks and days off from work consistently helps you maintain a work-life balance and gives your mind time to rest and recharge,” says Guarino. “This prevents burnout from occurring later.”
Building mental health consistently into your workday can look something like this:
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Starting your day with self-care, such as journaling, meditating, or moving
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Eating lunch away from your desk
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Removing work emails from your phone
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Closing all tabs and shutting down your computer at 5 p.m.
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Removing Slack and Microsoft Teams notifications after a certain time
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Taking short breaks during the day to go outside, read, stretch
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Blocking personal time on your calendar
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Scheduling time off far in advance—and not being afraid to take a full week off
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Taking a mental health day when you’re feeling overwhelmed
“It's a misconception that taking a day or two off fixes the burden of systemic or deeply rooted burnout. However, it can still help you regroup and prioritize filling your own cup. Doing this periodically can smooth out the rough edges of the workday,” says Arzt. “At the same time, it's important to focus on how you can make the most of your day off. Having a plan in place—even if it's gentle—is an important way of honoring your own needs.”
