Mental Health Days For All! (Better Mental Health Means Productivity Boost)

A couple of months ago my 12 year old got up in the morning, got ready for school and then sat next to me quiet, I asked her what was wrong and got the usual answer, nothing, nothing is wrong just not feeling well. This conversation had become a regular one in the mornings before school, never on the weekends or during holidays, school days only. By this time I was getting a little frustrated with her trying to get out of school each day with a head ache or belly ache or whatever it was that day so I kept her home with me so we could talk.

Throughout the conversation I finally got her to admit that she just didn't have the gas to go that day, didn't have it in her to handle the work, the people, the noise just couldn't handle the hustle of that day. Her battery was drained. So she had her first mental health day. She stayed home with me and ran errands, helped clean the house and cook supper. Anything but function the way she was supposed to that day and the next day she got up and was good to go. Just needed a day to recharge.

It made me think of all the days that I have sat and mustered the energy to get in my work clothes, whether it was a uniform or office wear and soldier on throughout my day. Those days going into work with only half capacity and knowing that my work is suffering because as an adult that is what you do, show up and shut up with a smile on your face with your mind in overdrive just to stay on top of your minimum tasks.

As I was about to tell my daughter to buck up and soldier on for another day of school in the moment, I decided to keep her home because obviously she wasn't going to be at her best that day. So why as adults can we not do the same? Why as adults can we not say that we just do not have it in us to do our best that day and our work will suffer for it?

We get sick days and personal days but as of yet not many places award their staff with mental health days which means most people have to go to work or lose out financially or put themselves in the cross hairs for discipline. Mental health in the workplace is only now becoming openly talked about but not everywhere and not welcomed in a lot of settings.

When you get up those days and put on your work clothes, uniform, office wear, coveralls with steel toe boots or anything else and soldier on is your work at its best? Is your productivity and quality of work where it needs to be? No.

When you get home after a long day of faking it until you make it are you at your best for your family or loved ones? No , they are usually who get the fall out of that day which causes added stress and strain on your home life.

Implementing Mental Health Days, not only in the workplace or schools but in your home life as well will help making your workplace and home a happier place as everyone gets the chance to recharge the batteries when needed. A full mental battery means better quality of work and life meaning less stress in the long run.

So here is to more discussion and more improvement into mental health in your daily life and here is to progress in the future of making mental health days a common thing in the workplace.