5 Ideas For Taking A Mental Health Day

We all need our mental health days. What to do on a mental health day depends on your energy, time, means, and the needs of your brain/body. I encourage everybody to regularly take mental health days. If you get stuck wondering how to treat these days, here are some ideas to help restore you.

Treat it like you would a cold or flu

Close the curtains. Dim or soften your lighting. Limit sound or play music. Curl up in your bed with a blanket. Read a book or watch Netflix. Drink tea or cocoa. Whatever you do, give your mind and your body some much-needed rest and time to do nothing. (If your mental health symptoms are intense and/or worsen, reach out to your therapist or psychiatrist.)

Take the luxurious route

If you have the funds, treat yourself to a lovely spa day, fancy meal, retail therapy, or a gift you've been eyeing for a long time. I especially love this idea for anyone who spends their days in the giving professions, including parents and caregivers. If you struggle to give to yourself the way that you would give to another, take this opportunity to practice some self-love.

Physical and mental decluttering

Sometimes you just need a day to sort through your to-do list. If you have tasks that you've been putting off for a long time, and you know that you'll feel better once they're done, use your mental health day to knock them out. Return overdue library books. Deep clean and organize your home. Make those phone calls you've been postponing. Declutter and organize your email inbox. Whatever the projects are, allow yourself the time to enjoy the process as well.

Go off grid

Today might be the day to get back to nature. Pack a bag with hiking food, shoes, water, and sunscreen. Go to a local national park. Bonus points if you turn off your phone or just leave it at home. If hiking is not an option, try to spend some time outdoors in other places like a park or even your apartment balcony. Bring some trail mix and a thermos of tea. Practice mindfully observing the nature around you.

Live an artist's life for a day

Go to a park and sketch. Create a cup in a ceramics studio. Go to an art studio and paint. Sit at a cafe and write poetry. Sit with your musical instrument, play, or write a song. Allow the creative side of your brain to run free for the day.