Mental Health Days are a Must
I feel like in today’s society, people are beginning to normalize the importance of taking a mental health day. Whether it’s calling out of work, canceling all the plans you had for the day, or just staying in and binging your favorite show. Mental health days are so important in contributing to our health and our happiness. It gives us time to unwind, relax, and negate any stresses that are weighing heavy on our minds and bodies.
A lot of times when we plan to take a day to ourselves, the things on our to-do list are constantly nagging us. I know that in the back of my mind 24/7 are the numerous projects that I have to complete, whether it's doing research for an article on Muse, completing an assignment for school, or even just doing the laundry. I get myself worked up over finishing things that I have scheduled in my mental calendar. If these things aren’t done on time, *BOOM* panic attack.
I’ve struggled with the whole “taking a break thing” for most of my life. Constantly working, to then go home and do more work. Up until the pandemic, I would have 12-15 hour days, everyday, with a day off once in a blue moon. It wasn’t until recently where I was reading this book called The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, which discusses a spiritual journey towards enlightenment, that I realized that I am the one who is overwhelming myself by creating unnecessary problems with constant thoughts in my head.
The passage that really resonated with me in this book discussed how WE create our problems, which then leads to pain inflicted on ourselves. “ ‘Problem’ means that you are dwelling on a situation mentally without there being a true intention or possibility of taking action now and that you are unconsciously making it part of your sense of self.” After repeating it and fully processing this sentence, I completely changed my perspective on how I view things in my daily life. Eckhart Tolle puts an emphasis on living in the Now because if you dwell on the past, you’ll remain stuck there, mentally and physically. If you think about the future, your thoughts will always remain in the future. This is why when you manifest and say your affirmations, they should be said as if they are already done “I am rich”, “I am wealthy”, “I am accepting all the opportunities that are on its way to me”. The same thing goes for the problems that we create. For example, you have a project due Sunday at midnight….that’s a future problem. Think about what the problem is right now, right this second...The answer is nothing, because it is not due right at this exact moment. This sentence alone guided me into finishing my last few months of undergrad, without feeling the constant pressure of everything that is going on in my life.
So, once we can grasp this concept of ‘problems’ being an illusionary thing, we can then work on the solution. Some of us may not know exactly what it is we need in order to create this “solution”, but it’s easy to find because, most of the time, it is doing things that we enjoy doing, things that make us happy. Whether that’s reading a book, having a glass of wine, or watching your favorite show, it’ll be different for each and every one of us. If you’re feeling the stress of work, school, or just daily life, take a mental health day. Mental health days consist of doing whatever it is your heart desires that doesn’t have to do with your current stresses. When taking a mental health day, people are responding to what their body / mind needs, which then makes them happier, healthier, and more productive. Trust me, your body and mind will thank you later.