When our bodies are sick, it is accepted that we should rest until we begin to feel better. However, it is just as important to look after our mental health. If we are feeling stressed or anxious, a day off work or studies can help us to relax and return to our work feeling more positive and refreshed.
Employers are increasingly recognising the importance of good mental health for their staff. A happier workforce is more motivated and productive, and less prone to illness and burnout. This creates a positive working culture and can reduce staff turnover, which is all great news for a successful business or organisation.
Some employers may not have constructive attitudes to mental health days, and not all staff feel comfortable about revealing their reasons for taking a day off work. However, you can still schedule a day of annual leave in advance to take care of your mental health. You can even count a weekend day as a mental health day and plan your activities accordingly.
It’s important to think about what you will do with your time away, because you want to avoid spending the day worrying about problems, which will make you feel worse. If you are simply tired and burned out, you might want to spend the day just relaxing with a good book or watching TV.
Making the effort to do some gentle activities can also be extremely helpful. Getting outdoors for a walk in a park or the countryside can really lift our mood and help us to feel more energised. If you are very tense and anxious about something, some exercise such as yoga, swimming, or running can be great stress busters.
Creative activities such as painting, writing, or playing a musical instrument can also be wonderfully restorative. They allow our subconscious mind to get to work on the issues that are bothering us, and often we can return to them in a new light. The process of creating something new is also rewarding for its own sake too, of course.
If spending time with friends and family is how you recharge your batteries best, then you could plan a day out together for something fun, whether that’s a day at the beach, city shopping, or a long lunch in a country pub.
If you have any neglected hobbies or interests that you have been meaning to return to for years, a mental health day can be the perfect time to pick them up again. You will probably have forgotten just how much you enjoyed it, and may want to carve out some regular time for it in the future.
You might also take the opportunity to think about any positive changes you could make in your life. This might be cutting down on alcohol consumption or smoking, or making the effort to see friends more. If you have deeper or longer term issues to resolve, you might benefit from some counselling or therapy.
If you are looking for Harley Street hypnotherapy, please get in touch today.