No matter what we choose to do for work, sometimes things can just feel tough. Not because we are bad at what we do; not because we don’t like what we do. Sometimes things feel challenging because our minds are tired and mentally drained. When we are feeling burnt-out, it’s difficult to engage with the work that is in front of us, interact positively with our colleagues or enjoy ourselves outside of work. When we feel like this, a day off to breathe, have peace and reset your mind is very important. These are your Mental Health days.
Mental Health days are something that can be daunting for a lot of people to talk about and for some, even harder to admit they need. There is a strong stigma in many cultures around taking mental health days in a way that does not exist for physical ailments, such as the flu.
Why Businesses Struggle to Give Mental Health Days Credibility
It can be hard to ensure ‘legitimacy’. When an employee is saying they aren’t coming into work because they have the flu, managers often can tell they are sick. Plus a medical certificate often means that the sick employee has had their illness ‘verified’. Because businesses cannot physically see that employees are sick, they err on the side of caution and don’t authorise mental health days at all.
You Might Not Be ‘THAT Bad’
The vast majority of workers who take mental health days are in more or less fine mental health (if such a thing really exists that is). They do not have chronic or acute mental health problems and may not see a mental health specialist at all. It is the fact that we just need a day to reset, refocus and re-engage with what we are doing which makes it tough for some managers to understand why we need them at all.
The Benefits of Mental Health Days
Health Benefits
It should be obvious, but mental health days are good for you and your health. Imagine for a moment that your mental health is a car. It is important to get your car serviced regularly to ensure that any small issues are fixed before the whole thing breaks down. The same is true for your mental health; your mental health days are the scheduled service dates. They are the days you take to make sure everything keeps working well. Breakdowns are very time consuming and costly to repair, so a day or two are a small price to pay to avoid them.
Happier Employees
Any business that understands the importance of mental health days will see a happier workforce working for them. Employees want to know that their well-being is valued, and that it goes beyond simply getting to go home if they have a cold.
Productivity Benefits
As has been previously mentioned, by taking mental health days, you are giving your mind a chance to reset, processes what has happened and prioritise what you need to do. When you do come back to work, you will feel calmer, more confident and will be more productive, which is good for any business – large or small.
Cultural Benefits
A company that proudly displays that mental health days are okay to take is also one that has an open minded approach to mental health. It is a great way to let employees know that it is okay to not be okay sometimes. It shows that they can talk about things that are on their mind. Regardless of any employee retention benefits that this might have for your business, mental health days may be the distinction for people who need help but are too scared to ask.
Those of you who read this and manage teams, consider talking to them about mental health days and what it means to them. To those of you who read this and are currently hiding their mental health days, know that this does not make you a selfish person and that you are not alone.
Note: If you are suffering from ongoing mental health distress, or just need to talk to someone but don’t know where to go to, please consider reaching out to the team at Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
You are not alone.
