We’ve all had days when we’ve woken up, wearily reached for our phone and texted the boss, telling them how you’ll ‘never be eating Mexican food again.’ In truth, dodgy tacos aren’t the real reason why you’re calling in sick. You may be feeling a tad overwhelmed, stressed out or in desperate need of a break from your desk and emails. It may surprise you, but it’s likely your boss knows this too.
Let’s dive into how practicing self-care and taking a mental health day can benefit you, your boss and your organisation.
Recognising when you need to take a breather
Sometimes we get so swept up with deadlines, meetings and projects that we can forget to check in with ourselves. It’s important to regularly take a step back and hit the reset button, and a mental health day can be a great way to accomplish that.
While recognising when you need some time can be hard, there are some indicators you can look out for:
- waning concentration and reduced performance
- feeling moody or more frustrated than usual
- headaches and increased fatigue
- stress and feelings of anxiety.
If you’re experiencing any of the above, it could be a sign you need to step back from work for the day. Like a sick day due to a physical illness, a mental health day should be treated in the same way – it’s a time to rest and recover. Although it may seem more difficult to ask for, don’t be afraid to approach your boss, co-worker or manager and let them know that you need to take a breather.
How to unwind on your mental health day
Whether it’s coffee with a friend, a yoga session or a day on the couch watching Netflix, there’s no one way to practice some much-needed self-TLC.
You’ll be surprised by how much a day away from your desk can help boost morale and put things into perspective.
Taking a strategic mental health day before a big project can help you re-energise and come at whatever is ahead with full strength. Planning for quieter periods can also help reduce the guilt factor you may feel if you have looming deadlines. The last thing you want to be worrying about on your mental health day is your workload!
That being said, it’s always important to put you first, do what’s right for you and do it guilt-free.
How investing in wellbeing can benefit your business
The benefits of employee mental health days can be enormous. A recent Forbes study showed that mental health days can help employees thrive, be more productive and clearly focus on outcomes. When measured through a financial lens, a report by the American National Business Group on Health showed that mental illness costs companies $17 billion each year and 217 million missed days.
Allowing your employees the opportunity to reset is not only great for them, it also makes sense from a business perspective. It’s well documented that stress inhibits the creative process. By giving your stressed or tired employees time to recover, you’re giving them what they need to perform at their best. It’s also a fantastic way to communicate your company values and help encourage a healthy team culture where your employees aren’t afraid to ask for help.
Work with others who put mental health first
When it comes to your health and wellbeing, taking time out to do the little things can help. Here at Shuttle Rocket, we always endeavour to put our writers’ wellbeing first. If you’re as passionate about mental health as us and want to work with like-minded people on your next copywriting project, get in touch with our team today.