When Is a Mental Health Day Off From Work Justified?
An occasional break from the office is good for you. But if it becomes a habit, you should seek professional help.
By David Levine, Contributor May 18, 2018, at 3:56 p.m.
Who among us hasn't needed a break from work? No matter how much you may love your job, sometimes you have to get away from it. You might put in for a vacation day or a personal day, depending on your company's policies and procedures. You might even call in sick. What you are really taking, though, is a mental health day off.
And there is nothing at all wrong with that. Although there probably isn't a mental health day policy at your office, calling it that has some value. "This is a vernacular term that helps people take the day off and not have to lie to themselves about feeling physically ill, and not feel guilty about being out and about," says Dr. Michelle B. Riba, a professor of psychiatry and associate director of the Comprehensive Depression Center at the University of Michigan. "What they call this may have more to do with what the company calls it. It has to be checked off in a box, so it's called a personal or sick day," says Riba, who is also co-medical director of the center's Workplace Mental Health Initiative. But calling it a mental health day "gives them the freedom to handle the day in a different way. They can take care of themselves or others if they are feeling overwhelmed or tired or stressed at work."
https://health.usnews.com/wellness/mind/articles/2018-05-18/when-is-a-mental-health-day-off-from-work-justified
