How to Take An Effective Mental Health Day
How to Take an Effective Mental Health Day Off
Let’s be honest, life is stressful. As beautiful and exciting as life can be, it is still stressful. And depending on what all you have going on in your life, things can begin to pile up and tumble over, just like that pile of laundry in the corner (que another stressor).
Have you heard of taking a Mental Health Day? Maybe you have, or maybe you haven’t. Either way, mental health days are getting more attention these days and for good reason, sometimes, we all just need a break. My name is Dr. Kristin Dolph, and I am a Licensed Clinical Counselor specializing in trauma and wellness, as well as the owner of Dolph Counseling & Wellness. I am here to talk to you about why you should become familiar with this fastly growing concept of a Mental Health Day.
You might be thinking, “Well, I’m not sick, why should I take a day off?” Good news however, you do not have to be “sick” to give yourself one. In contrast to a “sick day,” where we would take a day or two or three off of work due to illness, a mental health day does not imply that you are “sick” but simply starting to feel the negative effects of your mental health being stretched and pulled in every direction. So what does that stretching and pulling feel like? Glad you asked! It could feel and look like many things:
For most people, feeling stressed out and overwhelmed looks a lot like anxiety and depression symptoms in a much milder version, and just not clustered quite the same. You could feel chronically irritated, more easily annoyed, snappy or agitated with others (and yourself), negative thoughts, feeling pressed for time, poor sleep, changes in your appetite (most likely craving sugary or other simple carbohydrates), foggy or raising mind, chronic fatigue, poor concentration, and overall apathy meaning a lack of zest for the things that typically bring you joy! Sound familiar? Probably, because more than likely, we all have been there. Sigh of relief, you are not alone. Still unsure? Keep reading.
How Do You Know If You Need A Mental Health Day? By Knowing You, Of Course.
You may be thinking to yourself by now, is this me? Is this me everyday? The best way to tell that you are needing a mental health day, is by knowing you! Having a deep understanding of who you are can help you learn better and faster when you are needing an intervention. As seen in an article in the Journal of Further & Higher Education engaging in daily self-reflection can enhance your awareness of your own mental health. This can be as simple as being mindful of your emotions and thoughts throughout the day and focusing on responding not reacting to daily stressors. Know myself. Sounds like a catchy mantra to me.
Why is This Important?
Among the obvious of taking care of your mental and emotional health as I (Dr. Kristin Dolph) recommend, the effects of not doing so have a great impact on your wellbeing, life, and physical health. The overwhelm and stress symptoms can impact your relationships and even your work both academic and career. Additionally, chronic stress leads to an overall lowered immune system functioning. As cited by authors Wade et al., they discussed a pretty famous study conducted in 1998 where researchers found a positive correlation with chronic stress (lasting a month or longer) and contracting the common cold (2022). The “chronic stress” were both social and emotional stressors and work stress. I think that we all can agree that our lives have only gotten busier and more stressful since 1998. Additionally, we know that chronic stress can actually kill our healthy white-blood cells off at a faster rate (Wade et al., 2022). Yikes!
Chronic stress also can be a risk factor for emotional and mood disorder onset or recurrence (Wade et al., 2022). With stress disrupting our sleep and our mental functioning, everyday problem solving can take a hit leading to a negative impact on our work which can lead to negative thoughts on yourself and your performance. Additionally, stress can leave you feeling tired and irritable leading to canceling plans with your friends and family for the 3rd time in a row or snapping at your kids after a long day causing more emotional distress and isolation. Overall, I think we can understand why taking a simple day off could be just what you need.
What NOT To Do In Taking A Mental Health Day
If you are now seriously contemplating taking a mental health day (or two) this year, let’s first start with what NOT to do.
First, a mental health day is not a “catch-up” day. Although you may need one of those (who doesn’t) spending a day thinking that you need to get all of the lingering items on your to-do list done will more than likely only leave you feeling more overwhelmed and stressed out. Why? Because the list will never end. Which is why aiming for how you can improve your task-management skills for another day is necessary for an effective mental health day.
Second, let go of the guilt. Easier said than done, but listen, you are not supernatural. You are human and you need and DESERVE a break. You may need to restate a mantra to yourself about how important it is to you or rehearse what you need to say to someone like your boss or partner. Completely fine, but rattling yourself with guilt for taking care of yourself will only taint your mental health day and inevitably cause more stress. And if you are feeling guilty for taking a mental health day, chances are that you may struggle with feeling guilty for taking care of yourself in general leading to chronic feelings of guilt. In an article in the Journal of Personality Assessment researchers found that those who struggled with feelings of chronic guilt, had a greater risk for mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Remember, the feeling of guilt means that you “did” something bad or wrong. That does not apply here.
Lastly, try not to set major expectations. A mental health day is going to look different for everyone. I remember early into my dissertation journey when I got devastating news about the assessment that I had planned my entire PhD journey and dissertation topic around. Basically I was told, “sorry but not, and good luck”. In that moment, my heart sank, I became overwhelmed with the feeling of fear and could only think about how many months (and research) was just added to my plate because of a massive pivot I had to do. After consulting with others who had been through the journey themselves, they each gave me “mental health day”advice ranging from Netflix binging with a cheeseburger and fries, to family game night, to shopping and a spa day (I wanted to lean towards that one) to simply unplugging from all PhD work for a weekend and returning with a fresh mindset. I settled on that, but I needed to really listen to what I needed. I encourage you to do the same. Also, what you need this time you take one, may not be what you need the next time.
So, How Do You Take An Effective Mental Health Day
So you have decided to take one. First of all, congratulations, you are one step closer to a healthier you. The first thing that you need to focus on is your mindset for the day. Try and focus on positive thoughts about you, your work, your relationships, where you are in life. Stress can take our minds into deep dark and even scary places which means that your mind needs this day too! Remind yourself of all the good in your life. Begin a gratitude journal that day or just a reflection, look at pictures, watch a feel good movie, laugh! Get the positive thoughts flowing in the brain. The more you train your brain to focus on the positive the brighter we tend to feel and our stress hormones will chill out a little too (Wade et al. 2022).
Next, although this does not have to be a huge part of the day, nutrition might be necessary especially if you are feeling run down. Even making sure that one meal or snack is nutritious can leave you feeling nourished and can balance out the chemicals that enhance that “flighty” feeling that accompanies stress. Going back to our primal roots can be helpful here as it really keeps your brain focused on the present moment and day. Chopping vegetables and simmering something on the stove is a great way to enhance your mindfulness skills and really help us appreciate what we have, the present moment. In an article published in PsyCh Journal researchers found that even brief moments of mindfulness enhanced psychological wellbeing and decreased emotional and cognitive stress. Bonus, if you practice mindfulness all day!
Lastly, rest! This may mean taking a small walk in nature, playing with your dog, taking a nap, or even not getting dressed that day. That is fine! Remember, rest and digest is the opposite energetic action of our nervous system so we also want to de-stress. De-stress may not be completely optional but we can be intentional about it. That may mean not checking your phone or email, staying off of Instagram or TikTok, or maybe not being the savior to people in need that day. However you practice de-stressing, being intentional is key. Possibly a question that you ask yourself, is this for me? If so, it might belong in your mental health day.
All in all, a mental health day does not have to be long, dramatic, or expensive. It only needs to be intentional. So the next time you are feeling overwhelmed and you notice that you have been feeling chronically stressed, maybe that is a sign to give yourself a day. A moment of peace may be all you need.
Cerna, C., García, F. E., & Téllez, A. (2020). Brief mindfulness, mental health, and cognitive processes: A randomized controlled trial. PsyCh Journal, 9(3), 359–369. https://doi-org.ezproxy.ohiolink.edu/10.1002/pchj.325
Gilani, D. (2025). Encouraging self-reflective practices to improve student mental health outcomes: a case study. Journal of Further & Higher Education, 49(9), 1275–1295. https://doi-org.ezproxy.ohiolink.edu/10.1080/0309877X.2025.2550020
Quiles, Z. N., & Bybee, J. (1997). Chronic and Predispositional Guilt: Relations to Mental Health, Prosocial Behavior, and Religiosity. Journal of Personality Assessment, 69(1), 104. https://doi-org.ezproxy.ohiolink.edu/10.1207/s15327752jpa6901_6
Wade, Tavris, Sommers, Shin. Invitation to Psychology. Pearson, 2022.
