Is It Time to Take a Mental Health Day?

We’re all familiar with the idea of staying home from school or work when we’re under the weather with a cold or a stomach virus. You probably don’t feel well enough to do your best, and if you’re contagious, it’s irresponsible to expose yourself to other people who may catch whatever you have. However, the idea of taking a day specifically to tend to your mental well-being is somewhat less commonplace in the United States – the most overworked country in the world.

Here’s how to tell when it’s time to take a break for your mental health, and why you shouldn’t feel guilty or hesitant to admit when you need to set aside a day or two to manage stress or practice your self-care routine.

How to Tell If You Need a Mental Health Day

Sometimes, life feels overwhelming. Even glancing at the day’s headline news can be exhausting. If this burden becomes too heavy and you are starting to experience the symptoms of burnout, it could be because you haven’t given yourself enough time to do the healthy hobbies that serve as an outlet to keep stress at a minimum.

Chronic stress comes with a whole host of issues, from high blood pressure to headaches. You may be unmotivated and find yourself detaching from responsibilities that used to be engaging for you. If that’s the case, you should schedule a day for self-care activities such as getting a massage or spending time with friends.

Reasons to Take a Mental Health Day

If you want to be healthy, you shouldn’t neglect your mental well-being. Just as you need to build rest days into your physical exercise routine, your mind and spirit need occasional downtime to recover. Listen to what your inner voice is telling you. If you wake up feeling exhausted, use your best judgment and decide when it’s time to take a day off school or work.

It’s OK if you don’t want to go into a high level of detail with co-workers, teachers or classmates about why you took a mental health day. It’s not a stretch of the truth to say you weren’t feeling your best and thought you’d be better off staying home.

Ideas for How to Spend Your Mental Health Day

What should you do with your day off? Anything that helps you feel better and manage stress qualifies as a good mental health day activity, even if it’s something as straightforward as taking a nap. The goal is not to spend the day running errands, doing chores or organizing your email inbox. Instead, focus on activities you find relaxing, whether that’s doing yoga, fitting in an extra session with your therapist or taking a long, hot bath. Allow your brain to unplug and the burdens to lift from your shoulders.

Renewed Focus on Your Health

At first, the idea of taking a day strictly to focus on your mental well-being might seem selfish or overly indulgent. However, by allowing yourself time to unwind and de-stress, you’ll return from your day off with renewed enthusiasm to be a better employee, student, friend or family member. Developing a habit of taking time off when you need it will help create more balance in your daily life.

If you need to seek treatment for health issues such as substance abuse or co-occurring disorders, Hope Academy is here for you. Contact us to learn about our specialized program offerings for young adults.

Poor Mental Health Among Generation Z

A new startling report of nearly 4,000 young adults by the American Psychological Association found that members of Generation Z reported the worst mental health of any generation. The triggers: gun violence, political turmoil, suicide rates, reports of sexual harassment and assault, money issues and personal problems. Gen Z is defined as those ages 15 to 21.

According to the report, not even half of those in Gen Z reported “excellent” or “very good” mental health compared to 56 percent of Millennials, 51 percent of Gen Xers and 70 percent of Boomers.

And 91 percent of the Gen Z respondents reported experiencing at least one symptom of stress, including depression, anxiety and lack of motivation. The good news: While many admit they could do better managing stress, they are also more likely to report mental health conditions than any other generation. About 37 percent of these young adults reported receiving help or treatment from mental health professionals versus 35 percent of Millennials, 26 percent of Gen Xers and 22 percent of Baby Boomers.

"The fact that more Gen Z individuals than adults in other generations said that they thought their mental health was fair or poor is concerning," Arthur Evans, a psychologist and CEO of the American Psychological Association, told CNN. "However, this could also be interpreted as a positive sign. This generation may be more tuned in to recognizing issues with their mental health than older generations."

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder 
Sometimes teens and young adults self-medicate to deal with their mental illness and become addicted to these medications on top of alcohol and other drugs. At Hope by the Sea’s Hope Academy program, we run a series of tests upon admission to determine if mental illness is complicating substance abuse. To learn more about our dual diagnosis program for young adults, call today: 866-930-4673.

How to Keep Calm and Carry On

Learning how to keep stress in check is an important tool for long-term sobriety. Unchecked stress is a slippery slope into using again. So what can you do the next time you’re feeling frazzled, overwhelmed or freaked out – by recovery, by an upcoming test or impending job interview – or by, um, everything? 

Take a deep, long breath – and then try one of these five simple stress busters:

1. Talk on the phone. Skip the text message and give a friend a quick call instead. Hearing a friend’s voice has been found to reduce stress, according to a study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
2. Escape on Instagram. Checking out for 10 minutes by checking out Instagram, YouTube or some other favorite site, for example, can help give your mind the mental break in needs before tackling a stressful assignment or overwhelming to-do list. 
3. Pamper yourself. A little self-pampering can go a long way in controlling those frazzled feelings. The repetitive motion of painting your nails or toenails, for example, can be soothing and the end result will make you feel great. Or head to the barber for a clean shave and hair cut. 
4. Take a stretch break. Perhaps the best way to relax your mind is to relax your body. You don’t need to take an entire yoga class, either, just a few quick, simple stretches will do the trick.
5. Exercise it out. Lace up your sneakers, pop your headphones in and go for a long walk or jog. Physical activity can help you clear your mind and fend off a freak out. 

Ask About Our One-on-One Coaching

At Hope Academy, we understand that stressors inevitably arise as you begin working toward your academic and career goals. Our experienced sobriety coaches can help you learn how to manage these pressures without resorting to substance abuse. To learn more, call today: 866-930-4673.