Can You Take a Mental Health Day From Work?
Key takeaways:
Workplace stress can contribute to mental and physical health problems.
Taking an occasional mental health day gives you time and space to focus on your wellness and seek professional support if needed.
Depending on where you work, you may have the legal right to take time off to deal with a mental health condition.
Would you feel guilty if you took a day off for mental self-care? Many people might consider this irresponsible. However, it’s not selfish to take care of your emotional health — it’s necessary.
Just as you’d take time off work to heal from an injury or recover from a cold or flu, you may also need time off to care for your mental health. Many advocates recommend taking what’s called a “mental health day” to do just that.
Here’s what you should know about taking a day off for your mental well-being.
How can work affect your mental health?
Work is one of the biggest stressors for many Americans. A combination of workload, environment, and supervisors’ attitudes can all influence people’s experiences on the job.
In a survey by Mental Health America, most people reported feeling stressed at and about their work. Specifically, the study found:
Nearly 85% of people said workplace stress affects their mental health.
Around 83% of respondents said they feel emotionally drained by work.
Nearly 60% of employees reported that their boss does not provide emotional support.
Read more like this
Explore these related articles, suggested for readers like you.
Workplace stressors may make existing mental health symptoms worse. And in some cases, work-related stress can lead to both mental and physical health problems.
What is a mental health day?
The term “mental health day” typically refers to taking a day off of work or school to focus on your emotional wellness. It’s similar to a traditional sick day, except that you don’t need to have a physical illness or injury to use it.
There is also World Mental Health Day, which the World Health Organization (WHO) organizes each year. This event helps recognize the importance of mental health awareness in all settings.
What are the benefits of taking a mental health day?
Sometimes you need time away from a stressful work environment. Even if you love your job, there are still times when you just might need a break. Getting one more day in the week to have a break can provide significant relief.
At other times, you might be struggling with a life event or emotional illness that makes it more difficult to cope. You may need time to process, rest, or seek mental health services. Just like taking time to rest from a physical illness, you may need time to recover from a mental illness.
Your regular days off may often be spent catching up on personal responsibilities or committing time to your family. They might also be spent on a vacation. Vacations allow for you to see new places or enjoy fun experiences. Just keep in mind that vacations may come with the physical and mental stress of traveling.
Mental health days, on the other hand, are about focusing on yourself — without commitments.
What would I do on a mental health day?
There’s no one way to spend a mental health day. Some people take that time to rest, sleep, or participate in hobbies. Others might journal or see a therapist.
Recreation is also an appropriate way to spend the day. You might see a movie or spend the day at a local park.
In general, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) recommends improving your mental wellness through practices such as:
Finding relaxing activities
Practicing gratitude
Reaching out to friends and family
Re-evaluating and re-prioritizing commitments regularly
These activities could be part of your mental health day and are also helpful for everyday life.
Can kids take a mental health day?
Mental health days aren’t just for grown-ups. Kids and teens need days off, too. This could be particularly important if your child is struggling with a trauma or mental illness.
Sometimes children experience their biggest challenges at school. They may be dealing with bullies, isolation, teacher expectations, or difficult friendships. Problems at home can make this even harder.
Like with adults, taking time off can help kids better handle stress. A child’s mental health day might include family activities or seeing a mental health professional. It could also include time for themselves to enjoy hobbies without adult expectations.
How do you ask for a mental health day off work?
The best way to ask for a mental health day will depend on you and your job circumstances.
If your supervisor is supportive of emotional wellness, you might talk to them about it. Let them know you value your mental health or that you’ve been feeling stressed. Explain that you’d like to take a day to rest and re-energize.
If you feel your supervisor or boss would not be understanding, it’s not necessary to share details. You might choose to use a vacation or personal day, which doesn’t require an explanation or sick day excuse.
However, in some cases, it may be preferable to use sick leave for mental health needs. Read more on that below.
Do you have the right to take a day off for your mental health?
Some workplaces have programs that encourage mental health and wellness. Companies might use terms such as “mental health day,” but many won’t. Instead, they may offer sick, vacation, or personal days.
Using a personal or vacation day for mental health or self-care is generally accepted. Some employers may also consider sick days appropriate to use for emotional wellness. They might compare feeling depressed or highly anxious to having a headache or stomach problem.
Other employers may be more strict. They may ask for documentation of a diagnosed illness or a medical appointment. In that case, a mental health condition should be considered equal to a physical illness.
If you work for a business that employs at least 50 people, you may qualify for protection under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). In that case, a company may be legally required to allow unpaid sick days for any health problem, including mental health conditions.
This generally applies if you’ve worked for the company for at least a year. Your human resources (HR) department can answer questions about the law and the company’s policies. You can also read more from the U.S. Department of Labor.
How often should you take a mental health day?
How often you take a day for mental health depends on your needs and symptoms. If you are dealing with immediate problems — such as an emotional crisis, depression, or anxiety — you may need time off right away to work through your feelings and find support.
If you tend to feel stressed out occasionally at work, you might plan ahead for a monthly or quarterly self-care day. If you wake up feeling overwhelmed and burned out, then that could mean today is the day to take off work and focus on yourself.
When your work circumstances prevent you from taking a full day off, consider taking a few hours instead. Or, you may want to set aside part of your vacation time for relaxation.
The bottom line
Caring for your mental well-being isn’t a selfish activity. It’s necessary to prevent burnout and manage any mental health conditions you may have. And while work is important, so is your long-term mental and physical health.
Why trust our experts?
References
MedlinePlus. (2020). Stress in childhood.
Mental Health America. (2021). Mind the workplace.
National Institute of Mental Health. (2021). Caring for your mental health.
U.S. Department of Labor. (n.d.) Sick leave.
U.S. Department of Labor. (2016). Employee rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
World Health Organization. (n.d.) Mental health in the workplace.
World Health Organization. (2021). World Mental Health Day.
