The Importance of Mental Health Days

As a high school student, my classmates and I deal with stress every single day. From projects to tests to worksheets to random things like signing up for the March SAT, there’s a lot going on. All the time. For the most part, it’s manageable, but one night of doing everything you’re “supposed to” could mean less sleep, or burnout the next day, or low-quality work done at two in the morning. Any way you slice it, high school makes people feel like they have to be on the ball at all times- but for a lot of us, that’s unrealistic. Even as I’m writing this on a Monday night, I’m worried about when I’ll get to bed, my extracurriculars tomorrow, and so many other things I know I should do. With all this intensity coming from not only academics, but extracurriculars, social activities, and life in general, something has to give: usually sleep, fun, or mental health. The latter is something that’s easy to forget about and brush to the side while prioritizing getting work done, but more important than high school grades, our mental health stays with us for the rest of our lives, so shouldn’t we learn to manage it now?

A poll on the Hilltopper instagram account revealed that 66% of more than 100 students at Needham High have taken or thought about taking a mental health day before. They cited reasons such as feeling overwhelmed and needing a break, being emotionally and physically exhausted, and needing to prioritize themselves. Answers to the poll also revealed that students were afraid of having even more work to make up when they got back, and were worried about what their parents would think if they took a day off. Just like these students, many adults are scared to take mental health days because they don’t want to look unproductive or weak in front of their coworkers and bosses, and a lot of workplaces don’t encourage taking them: they have limited sick days, strict guidelines for days off, and apathetic attitudes towards those who do stand up for their mental health. In the academic world, on top of missing classwork, COVID makes it so that almost every teacher posts detailed assignments on Google Classroom.This makes it especially hard to disconnect from school, and makes the temptation to let schoolwork invade your mental health day quite strong.

It can even be hard to decide if and when to take a mental health day. Students often fall at either end of two extremes when it comes to that decision; some would have no problem with taking a mental health day every other day just because they don’t particularly feel like doing work, while others can have a hard time admitting when they need a break. It all comes down to trusting your judgement as well as being objective. People need to be honest with themselves about if they’re mentally burnt-out or if it’s just another Monday, and then own their decision, whatever it may be. Doubting the choice to take a mental health day defeats its whole purpose, so people should keep in mind that taking one day off never hurt anyone, and it is okay to admit that you need a break.

However, letting teachers and parents know that you need a mental health day can be an awkward conversation. Most students who responded to the poll saying they had taken a mental health day told their teachers they were sick or had doctors appointments, while very few were outright in saying that they needed a mental break. During a pandemic, it’s especially hard to request a day off, as no one wants to go get COVID-tested because they had to lie and say they were sick when they really just needed a break. Our society places a lot of stigma and shame around discussing mental health in a world where everyone is supposed to be working hard in an attempt to rise to the top. A lot of people let this mentality dictate their lives, even if they don’t realize it, making it hard to admit when you need a break. Similarly, therapy is something that practically everyone needs, but no one likes to talk about. Just like with mental health days, people can think that going to therapy means there’s something wrong with them, or they aren’t doing the right things in life -- but taking care of your mental health should be a top priority, regardless of how society feels about it.

On a more positive note, the upsides of taking a day off often outweigh the negative emotions associated with taking one. You can sleep in more, start that book you’ve been wanting to read, or watch a rom-com on Netflix while your friends are in chem. A lot of the time, taking a day off can make you even more productive the next day, so no matter your workload, you will be able to catch up afterwards, and sometimes even bounce back to get extra work done. Also, it’s way more enjoyable to relax and then be especially productive as you get back to work, because your time is being used efficiently in both ways.

The prospect of taking a mental health day can be fairly daunting, especially when you don’t know what to do with your time off. It is easy to have expectations for yourself on days off from work or school, just like how our weekends are spent doing the random chores that we didn’t have time for during the week. The key to a good mental health day is to ask yourself objectively, what makes me feel good? And remembering that that answer looks different for everyone. Self care can mean lying in your bed all day watching Netflix, if that’s how you like to recharge. For others, it might mean a drive to the beach and stopping on the way to get your favorite lunch food, or running errands, or talking to old friends. In this way, it's important to be productive with your mental health days-not in the typical sense of getting a lot done, but by maximizing your own happiness and committing to relaxation to make the day worthwhile. A good mental health day is all about being intentional: intending to choose yourself, always, and keeping in mind that your life should be filled with as much joy as possible, whatever that may look like for you.

One of the great parts of mental health days are that they remind you of what makes you happy and gives you energy, and how small things can be employed in your daily life so you don’t need to take a mental health day every other week. To prevent any physical health problems, people go to the doctor, stay active, and eat healthy- but people rarely do the same for their mental health. Being preventative with mental exhaustion is the best way to keep yourself happy and healthy in the long run, whatever that looks like for you. Pulling an all-night to finish that history project might seem like a tempting idea one night, but consistently not getting enough sleep is a surefire way to make your days a lot harder. To avoid mental tiredness, taking one day off from school or work a week can be a good idea. More often than not, taking a day off can make you even more productive when you get back to your work, saving not only your mental health but your time. Getting an extra half hour of sleep per night can be another preventative method of taking care of yourself, because an extra thirty minutes a night, for seven nights, can add up to an extra three and a half hours of sleep a week- which can really make or break your mood by the time the last few days of the work week come around. All in all, mental health days are a helpful tool, if used wisely and with your best interests in mind. However, the most tangible and effective thing for people to do is be preventative with burnout, because it is a lot harder to recover from than it is to prevent- so be kind to yourself this week! Buy the latte, hit the snooze button for an extra fifteen minutes, take a moment to hug your friends- because building a habit of kindness to yourself will have a much greater impact on your life than making sure you get your English class notes done on a random Wednesday night.

Sources:

https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/benefits-taking-mental-health-day

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/how-to-take-a-mental-health-day#When-to-take-one