Here's Exactly How We Would Ask For A Mental Health Day at Work

We're talking about mental health days at work. Did you know that people who are burnt out and stressed are 23% more likely to visit the emergency room? Prior to the pandemic, 5% of employed people and 7% of unemployed people said their mental health was poor or very poor.

Today? Well, those numbers have jumped considerably. Of people that suffered, over half said that mental health days was the biggest contributor to helping them bounce back. You might be wondering at this point, what are mental health days? More importantly, how do you ask for mental health days at work without feeling anxious?

What are mental health days?

Mental health days are paid time off that companies provide to employees to give them the opportunity to rest and recharge. The weekend just isn't enough time to recover sometimes. You had a full work week and then on the weekend, maybe you have to take the kids to a hockey tournament or you have guests coming over that are staying the weekend with you.

Whatever it might be, you need that time to recover, but suddenly it's 6:00 AM on Monday morning and your partner doesn't know if they woke up next to you or lurch. That's where mental health days come in. These days are meant to promote work-life balance and for you to do whatever you want. Sleep in, meditate, cook a big, delicious breakfast, have a nap, work out, whatever you want to do. The world is your oyster on a mental health day.

Similar to a traditional sick day, you need to listen to what your mind and body are telling you. Let’s be honest, if you're reading this right now, you probably need a mental health day. If you regularly experience two out of the four signs of burnout, oh, you definitely need a mental health day.

Some signs that you may need a mental health day are:

• Difficulty sleeping
• Recurring illness and sick days
• Difficulty concentrating
• Anxiety

Difficulty sleeping

We've all been there. You get a message from your boss after hours that shouldn't bother you, but for some reason, your brain just won't let it go. And this only gets exponentially worse when you're lying in bed, alone, in the dark.

Suddenly, your brain comes alive with the worst possible meanings or outcomes of that message. "Do they think I'm stupid? Do they not like my work? Am I going to get fired?" The chances are, no, but tossing and turning for hours on end will absolutely hurt your performance at work.

By taking that mental health day, you give your body the opportunity to rest and recover so that you're able to do your best when you do go back to work.

Recurring illnesses and sick days

Your body in mind are very, very linked. Sometimes when you feel physical ailments, they can actually be rooted in your mental. A mental health day, in this case, can give you the opportunity to take some time to do an audit of your health and wellness habits and make the changes that you need to have better health moving forward.

Trouble concentrating

If you're finding that your attention is divided amongst a bunch of different things and you can't get your brain to just hone in on one of them, you've got to take a mental health day. In this case, maybe that mental health day gives you the opportunity to check off some of those things on your task list that aren't work-related.

Maybe they're personal, maybe they're friends, maybe it's family stuff that you haven't had a chance to do, but it's still weighing on your mind. Taking a mental health day in this case can help take some of that pressure off so that you can focus on work when you need to focus on work, and family when you need to focus on family.

Anxiety

If you're chronically anxious, you can't do your best work. Because before the work is even done, you're already worried about what the result is going to be. How can you really focus on putting your best foot forward if you're already worried about what the outcome is?

For anxiety, I recommend using your mental health day for some serious self-care. Get a massage to relieve your body of some of the pressure that it's been holding on to. Or get a workout in to release some of that pent-up energy that you've been storing.

What burnout signs are you experiencing right now? Jump into the comments and let me know so I can make sure to focus on videos specifically for that sign.

Now's the moment we've all been waiting for. We've talked about what mental health days are. We've talked about how to know if you need one. Now let's talk about how to ask for one. I know it feels icky and awkward, but when you know you need to take a break for the good of you and your work, you shouldn't have to feel guilty about that. Here are the three steps that you should take when asking your boss for a mental health break.

Write a list of reasons

Think about why you're asking for this mental health break. A lot of the time it'll be because of the signs that we mentioned earlier. When you put your thoughts to paper, it helps give you clarity on why this mental health break is in the best interest of both you and your employer.

Take an audit of your upcoming work

This will set you up so that you're able to best strategize when you can take this day off. You need to give your boss and teammates space to plan and prepare for your absence. Try to outline the work that you have done in advance to let your boss know what you can cover, and then additionally have another list of things I'll specifically need them or other teammates to help watch or support.

This way, you're able to take the day that you need and fully sign off without worrying about anything while also making sure that you're not causing any unnecessary pressure and stress on your teammates and boss. The last thing that you want is for your mental health break to take a toll on somebody else's mental health, right?

When and how to ask for a mental health day

We recommend having conversations on asking for mental health days at work either face to face if you work in an office or over video conference if you work remotely. That way you don't lose the context that you often can when you communicate over text or email.

Try approaching your manager and mention. "Hey, I really appreciate you taking the time today. I wanted to have this conversation because it's been a little while since I've taken a day off and I'm starting to feel like I need some time to rest and recharge."

From there, talk about the preparation that you've already done to position yourself and the team for success while you're away. Make sure to highlight the length of time you're hoping to be away, the specific work that you'll have done in advance, and anything else that you'll need coverage on from your team.

Depending on how severely your mental health has been suffering, you may need more than one day. It's totally fine and normal, but be mindful of the fact that the more time you request, the more information you'll have to give up about how you're feeling.

Everyone's level of comfort with being vulnerable and sharing their feelings is different, especially in a work setting, so please just make sure before you do dive into this, that you are comfortable sharing what it is that you're going through, what it is that you're feeling, what it is that you're thinking about.

What to do if your request is denied

There's a possibility that your boss will your mental health day request. They might not be supportive of mental wellness, or the company might not have a policy that actually supports this type of self-care for mental health days at work. Take this as a time to think about if this is the type of organization or management you want to work for. Whether they acknowledge it or not, emotions do belong in the workplace. Also, consider whether or not this work fulfills you in the first place.

If you’re looking for advice on how to get started with a career change, take a look at our Career Change Guide. We designed this guide for professionals interested in making a move into tech sales. It’s filled with insights, resources, and downloadable assets to help you find success through every stage of your transition.

At Uvaro, we’re committed to helping you tap into your talents and achieve Career Success! We want you to discover your dream career, and grow it to unprecedented heights. It’s a journey we’ll take together, so let’s get started today.