What is a Mental Health Day?
A mental health day is an unscheduled day off from work that involves doing something you enjoy doing, alone or with family and friends.
A mental health day does not include doing any errands, going to the doctor’s office, or cleaning the house.
Sometimes the only way to get some time for yourself, away from the office, and away from the demands of your household, is to disappear for a few hours, doing whatever it is you love best.
The activity you choose should be one that is fairly close to home, is not near work, and will renew you in some way. It could be going to see a movie or two by yourself. Or maybe you want to spend the day window shopping, or shopping, at your favorite mall. Your mental health day could be a trip to the local greenhouse, museum, or bookstore. It could be a half day at the salon, or getting a massage.
The mental health day can be whatever you want it to be, as long as it refreshes your mind.
From How To Take A Mental Health Day Without Feeling Guilty by Pam Gaulin
My *mental health day* will include:
- nesting in my studio and sorting through projects. According to Ellen Whitehurst, April 7th is “the perfect day to collaborate on any or all creative projects and promises to move them exponentially forward” so I best be prepared.
- going to get my hair shaped up and more red highlights added….how fun!!!!!
- enjoying a ‘welcome spring’ pedicure.
When are you going to take your well deserved *mental health day*?
And what will you enjoy?
4 Comments
I’m going to take a Mental Health week during spring break. I cannot wait! I hope yours is productive in a good restful sort of way.
Hugs,
Susan
I’ve penciled myself in this day, the year 2027. (The youngest will be almost 18)
A mental health day for me is any day when I can mess with my embroidery projects totally uninterrupted! For me, sitting and embroidering, with the tv tuned to my favorite reruns of Law and Order (during the day), or A&E’s “American Justice” or “The Office” on Thursday night or in the middle of the night, watching reruns of Missing or The Closer or 48 Hours-Mystery stuff -relaxes me immensely! Great mental health stuff -even when I screw up some stitches and am sitting ripping them out and cursing myself for making the error, the embroidery still relaxes me!
Peace!
I am a firm believer in ‘mental health days.’ There are times when you simply need to decompress, or de-stress. Everyone needs some down time every now and then.