Self-care 101: Why You Need to Take Mental Health Days

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In this day and age, it’s getting much harder not to feel overwhelmed with everything that’s happening in the world. Aside from the fact that you exist in the midst of a global pandemic that’s taken countless lives in the process, there’s also plenty of other societal issues occurring simultaneously.

There are also the effects of climate change and global warming. And there’s homophobia, misogyny, the fight for equal rights, access to universal healthcare, racism, etc. If you stopped worrying about all the issues happening in the world alongside your responsibilities at work and home, you might just lose your mind.

But while there’s not much that you can do at a large scale to put a stop to the societal issues or fight against global warming, you can take a step back from everything, even if only to preserve your sanity, or whatever’s left of it. That’s because you won’t be able to do anything to help anyone if you’ve already burned yourself out.

Trying to tackle all the issues in the world will only overwhelm you or make you feel more helpless than you already are. So, instead of feeling like the entire world is on your shoulders because you also have work and your family to think about, what you need to do is go on a mental health day.

On this special day, you’ll do everything you can to ease your mind, relieve your stress, and refocus on what matters. You won’t help anyone if you’ve spiraled into a black hole, so do yourself a favor and take a mental health day. To help you, here are some things that you can do:

De-stress with Your Hobbies

You’ll have more time to worry about the problems of the world in the future, but for now, your sole focus should only be on de-stressing. This is also the perfect opportunity for you to disconnect from the internet and detoxify your mind from social media. The adage, “Out of sight, out of mind,” rings true in this scenario.

That means spending the day away from your devices to just focus on what you love to do. This could be reigniting your old passions or doing your hobbies. You can go hiking and spend time in the great outdoors to breathe in some fresh air. Or you could go camping and watch as the stars fill the dark skies.

But you don’t have to go out of the city to de-stress. You can also spend your mental health day at home as your hands get busy crafting while you catch up on your favorite shows. Take this chance to cook a nice meal for yourself. Open a bottle of wine or get yourself some beer. Do anything as long as it can help you relieve your stress from the burdens you’re carrying.

Relax and Rejuvenate Your Body

If your body is feeling particularly sore and tense from all the stress you’re under, you can also take this mental health day to pamper yourself. Don’t be afraid to splurge on yourself once in a while because you deserve to spend money on the things or activities that can make you happy.

That’s why you should go to a masseuse and get all the kinks out of your tense shoulders. Book a day trip to the spa and let the professionals work their magical hands on your skin. This would also be the best time to get a facial treatment from your trusted skincare technicians. At this rate, your whole body will be thanking you at the end of your mental health day.

facial treatment

However, if you don’t have the budget to spend on a luxurious day out, you can also try to DIY your relaxing trip to the spa. Drop some of your bath bombs and essential oils in the tub so you can have an amazing soak. The point is that you should also prioritize taking care of your body on your day off work.

Don’t Plan and Just Be Spontaneous

Lastly, you can do nothing and just be spontaneous. Don’t plan anything for your mental health day, and simply go where the flow takes you. This is the perfect time to be reckless and irresponsible, even if it’s just for a change of pace. On this day, you won’t have to worry about your endless list of responsibilities.

So, if you get hungry, you can go and order your favorite food to save up on doing the dishes. Plus, you won’t have to prepare ingredients and cook if you don’t want to. You can also head out, walk around, and go where your feet take you. This could be a good opportunity if you’ve never done this before.

It won’t be selfish of you to take mental health days, even if the water levels are rising and the rainforests are burning. There’s not much that you can do about those issues or nothing large-scale anyways. You can worry yourself sick over the problems of the world, or you can take them one day at a time without sacrificing your last bit of sanity. It’s your choice.


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