As we become more and more aware of mental health as a society, the more we try to improve it. We have all sorts of therapies and treatments to keep it from worsening, many of which are getting popularized in the online world. One of those strategies, which are growing increasingly popular in our modern era, are Mental Health Days. But what are Mental Health Days? Why are they getting so popular? And, most importantly, why are Mental Health Days for students so important?
What are Mental Health Days?
Mental Health Days are just days you take off to take care of your mental well-being. It’s a break from your work to relax and focus on nothing but cleansing your mind. Unlike a regular day off, these days are explicitly for mental and emotional health, whether it’s through therapy sessions, talking to loved ones, or spending time outside. So, why should you take them? And how?
Why Mental Health Days for Students are Important
There are numerous reasons why anyone should take a Mental Health Day. However, what you need to know are the specific reasons why you should be taking one as a teenage student. What makes Mental Health Days especially important for us to take?
Prevents Burnout
Mental Health Days are great in many ways, but one of the best ones is in preventing burnout. Burnout is the complete draining of motivation due to overworking and stress. It is an unfortunate reality for many workers and students due to our society’s hustle culture, which you can learn more of with my article on hustle culture and teenage mental health.
Burnout is increasingly common among students, due to the coursework and extracurriculars expected of us. Mental Health Days are great in preventing burnout because they force you to forget about your other stressors and work, which would cause that burnout.
Improves Emotional Regulation
Emotional regulation is not a strong suit for teenagers. With ever-changing hormones, our emotions change along with it. The stress of schoolwork and relationships doesn’t make this much easier, which is why Mental Health Days are so important.
Mental Health Days allow you to focus solely on your own wellbeing. You don’t have to worry about everything else that may easily stress you out, and you can just do what makes you feel good.
Boosts Academic Performance
Contradicting the popular belief of the older generations, a day of rest can actually be better for your intellectual abilities. In fact, it can be even better than studying. This study on studyholism discusses the detrimental impact of excessive studying, and how it actually depletes academic abilities.
Mental Health Days allow you to take a break and reflect on your studying habits. Not worrying about studying for one day can help you realize how bad worrying was for your grades, and will actually improve your academic performance by opening you to healthier study habits.
Steps to Taking A Mental Health Day
So, you know why mental health days are so beneficial for students like yourself, and you’re more than ready to take one. But how exactly do you do that? There are a lot of obstacles in the way of having a perfect Mental Health Day, like school and parents, but before it gets too confusing, here are some steps you should take:
Step #1 – Find a date
First things first, find the day you want to take off. If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed or burnt out, find a day in the next week or so that would be good to take off.
You should also keep in mind important dates on your calendar, like tests or trips. With more rigorous classes, you might not be able to get away with taking a day off before a major test with no studying. So essentially, make sure the day is one you don’t need to compromise on.
Step #2 – Talk to adults in advance
By adults, I mean your guardians and school authorities. And there are some difficulties there.
You may be lucky, and have very caring and understanding parents who are easy to talk to about these things. Unfortunately, some of you don’t have that luck. So, here is my suggestion for less cooperative parents:
Just tell them the benefits of a Mental Health Day. Many of them might not want you to take off because of school and education. Give them a thorough explanation on how a Mental Health Day can actually boost your academic performance, more than just nonstop studying.
As for school authorities, it all comes down to your school and their rules. If they are lenient with absences and lates, then you’re doing pretty good. If not, it’ll be a little harder to take a Mental Health Day. My suggestion would be to talk to your counselor about this in advance, explaining the reason you want a Mental Health Day and when you’re going to take it. 9 times out 10 they’ll support your decision and help you move along with it.
Sadly, some of you may not get past these parts. Whether it’s your strict parents, or strict school, something might be keeping you from getting that day off. But don’t worry, because that’s only the weekdays. Try your best to find a way to arrange a Mental Health Day on the weekend, so your school isn’t involved and your parents may be more lenient.
Step #3 – Plan your day
So now you’ve got your date, got the “okay” from your parents and school, and are more than ready to have your anticipated Mental Health Day. But you don’t want to sit there wondering what to do on the day of. You just need to start planning ahead of time.
Think about what makes you happy. Is it hanging out with your friends? Playing with your dog? Sitting on the couch and watching TV? Try to get a list of 5-10 activities that truly make you happy, and start planning out your day. If you sign up for the newsletter, you can receive a PDF Mental Health Day Planner for FREE!
Step #4 – Enjoy your day!
You’ve covered all grounds! Now all you have left to do is experience the greatness of the Mental Health Day you planned yourself, and enjoy it as much as you can. I hope you love it!
But, before you go, there’s one last thing for me to say. I know a lot of you are busy. You can’t find time to do anything, and taking an entire day off to do “nothing” just seems unrealistic. The thing is, you have to stop thinking taking care of yourself is “nothing”. Don’t see this as a day for you to laze off when you should be grinding for that potential success.
Look at it this way.
This Mental Health Day is incredibly useful to you, and essential in your development towards success. It isn’t a “break” from productivity, instead a step towards increasing it, just in an unconventional way. You know the incredible benefits to having a Mental Health Day, and how much it can improve your abilities. Use that knowledge to change your mindset, and soon, your lifestyle will change along with. You will be so much happier.
Conclusion
Well, now you’ve learnt how amazing and beneficial Mental Health Days can be for students like us. However, many view them as unnecessary. The age-old belief of putting work and school before everything else still haunts the minds of the older generations.
You don’t need to give in to these judgements. The reason Mental Health Days have grown so dramatically in popularity is because our generation is breaking free from the stigma. We are changing views on mental health, and slowly but surely, making it a forefront in our society. And every one of us that takes the effort to care for our mental health brings us one step closer to acceptance.
So, the next time you’re feeling a little overwhelmed or everything is just too much, you know what to do. Take a day off, just for you and your mental health, and enjoy it to the very fullest.