We all acknowledge how devastating poor mental health can be to our productivity.
Yet, we still fear telling our colleagues and bosses about it, for fear of being seen as weak, incapable or difficult to work with. And we still feel guilty about requesting or taking time off to manage it, because “not feeling good” is not considered a good enough reason not to skip work.
However, prioritizing work over our well-being only means needing more time off in the long run – which can have severe consequences on our mental, physical and financial health.
So it’s time to stop this vicious cycle and make mental health days more accepted at work. But how do we do that?
What do we mean by “mental health”?
While having a long term mental disorder or condition – such as depression, clinical anxiety or PTSD – should be accommodated at work, by law, those are not the only manifestations of poor mental health that should be considered.
Temporary bouts of poor mental health – such as stress from a particularly difficult project, or depression from a breakup or losing someone close – are also completely valid reasons for needing a break from work.
Forcing ourselves to work through these experiences only prolong our ability to get past them and lead to further complications in the long run that can have even worse effects on our mental health, physical health and also your financial stability.
Systemic organizational changes to accommodate mental health
While it’s good to have a few tips in your personal arsenal to deal with mental health issues at work, the onus should really be on employers to foster change in the organization on a whole to handle mental health concerns.
Here are a few of the ways companies can support their staff with regards to mental health:
- Include mental health support in company health insurance policies
- Offer complimentary (or subsidized) therapy sessions for staff
- Invite professionals to speak on mental health and related topics
- Foster conversations about creating company-wide policies
- Create a company-wide policy that supports employee privacy and rights to time off for mental health reasons (without mandatory disclosure)
- Train managers and supervisors on how to handle delicate situations when employees exhibit the need for such time off
How to take time off for mental health reasons
Unfortunately, most organizations have still not implemented the necessary steps to accommodate mental health concerns, so for now, if you find yourself needing a break, you’ll have to take matters into your own hands.
The best way to get regular breaks is to schedule them in advance. By scheduling your paid time off (PTO) strategically, you can effectively turn the typical 10 vacation days into 24! and therefore you’re less likely to feel stressed or burned out when you know you have regular pre-scheduled breaks to look forward to on your calendar.
Unfortunately, life is messy – and we don’t always know in advance when our bodies will need a break. So if you happen to be in a rough spot and need a day or two to clear your head ASAP, here are some tips:
- Call in sick. Most employers won’t ask you to disclose personal information around illnesses, and you are entitled to sick days, so don’t feel guilty about using them.
- If short term notice is not the best option and you can push through the day, do that, but let your employer know that you need some time off over the next few days so they can adjust your schedule accordingly.
- If you work on a shift system with others, form an alliance to trade shifts when needed. This way, you can all spread the time around (rather than burdening one person with double shifts), and you can use this for other reasons besides mental health days.
Most importantly, come together with other employees and speak to your employer about getting a policy in place in your organization. The more people that want such a policy, the more likely your employer will be to consider it.
Even with increased education about the importance of mental health, the stigma surrounding it won’t go away any time soon. But remember, at the end of the day, your health is more important than any job, so be sure to take care of yourself first, and take the time you need when you need it.
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