Close

Key Takeaways

You might have had someone say it to you before: “Oh, just take a mental health day.”

It’s not a bad suggestion. Experts saymental health dayscan help people feel replenished and ready to return to work. But they are not a long-term solution to the mental health crisis the U.S. is facing.

Fittingly, the theme of World Mental Health Day this year is investment in mental health.Investment requires more than just taking the occasional mental health day, and experts say it needs to start in the workplace.

“If companies can view their employees as human beings, not as productivity machines, productivity will actually probably increase, because when people feel mentally well, they’re more productive,” saysEve Rosenfeld, a doctoral student in psychology at SUNY Buffalo.

Sometimes Mental Health Days Can Help

Taking days off can help you feel better when you’re struggling emotionally. “A mental health day gives our bodies and our brains time to rest and repair,” saysJeffrey Cohen, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

“When we are working, we are often in ‘doing mind’ which is an ambitious and goal-oriented state of mind where we are focused on problem solving,” Cohen says. “To be psychologically healthy, we must also spend time in ‘being mind’, which is nothing-to-do mind and present-oriented, where we are focused on the uniqueness of each moment.”

Doing things you enjoy also has proven mental health benefits. “Pleasant activity scheduling, which is also known asbehavioral activation, is one of the most well-researched treatments for depression and is proven to boost mood,” Cohen says.

Jeffrey Cohen, PsyDTo be psychologically healthy, we must spend time in ‘being mind’, which is nothing-to-do mind and present-oriented, where we are focused on the uniqueness of each moment.

Jeffrey Cohen, PsyD

To be psychologically healthy, we must spend time in ‘being mind’, which is nothing-to-do mind and present-oriented, where we are focused on the uniqueness of each moment.

To get the most out of your mental health day, try to commit to doing nothing, saysBroderick Sawyer, PhD, a clinical psychologist specializing in race-based trauma and mindfulness. He suggests that people make a list of things that make them feel good, and then pick something to do off of that list on a mental health day.

“If you’re going to take a mental health day, actually take the day off,” Sawyer says. “You don’t have your email open. You’re doing exactly what replenishes you.”

If you have a history of depression, watching movies all day could exacerbate your symptoms.Sawyer suggests making plans to see family or friends, exercising or practicing yoga, or cooking.

Mental Health Days Help Kids, But Systemic Barriers Prevent Widespread Use

Why Mental Health Days Are a Temporary Solution

Most part-time employees do not receive paid sick time and can’t afford to take time off as a result. “It is a privilege to be able to take a mental health day,” Sawyer says. “The people who have the most difficult time actually getting the time off are the ones who need it the most.”

Marginalized communities such as Black peopleand LGBTQ+ peoplehave higher rates of poverty, homelessness, and face more discrimination. They also have worse mental health outcomes throughout their lives.Those two issues can feed a cycle of job insecurity, worsened mental and physical health, and debt.

Broderick Sawyer, PhDWhen you’re fighting literally for your life and trying to get systems to acknowledge you so that you don’t die, that’s traumatic.

Broderick Sawyer, PhD

When you’re fighting literally for your life and trying to get systems to acknowledge you so that you don’t die, that’s traumatic.

When marginalized people are not working, they might be participating in growing advocacy efforts like the Black Lives Matter protests, whichtake a further mental health toll, Sawyer says. “You have to maintain a certain level of energy to engage in protests,” he says. “But… when you’re fighting literally for your life and trying to get systems to acknowledge you so that you don’t die, that’s traumatic.”

“You might feel uncomfortable telling your boss or your employer that you need to use a mental health day, because maybe you feel that it communicates to them that there’s something wrong with you or that you’re not a serious employee or that you’re too overwhelmed with your work,” Rosenfeld says. “That promotion that was on the table might be at risk if you’re taking mental health days, and that shouldn’t have to be the case.”

Related: White Supremacy’s Impact on Mental Health of BIPOC Folks

What Real Investment in Mental Health Looks Like

Rosenfeld, Sawyer, and Cohen all say employers need to invest more in mental health. In addition to the benefits to employees, it would also save companies money.

“Unfortunately, going out of network is often the only option for mental health treatment,” Cohen says. “Many mental health providers cannot afford to accept insurance because insurance companies do not adequately reimburse mental health providers for their services.” He says employers could also proactively give employees out-of-network benefits for mental health treatment.

Broderick Sawyer, PhDThere’s no mental health education in K through 12 [school] systems to help people prevent the need for mental health days in the first place.

There’s no mental health education in K through 12 [school] systems to help people prevent the need for mental health days in the first place.

But Sawyer notes that investing in mental health needs to be a collaborative effort between corporations, government agencies, schools and universities, and nonprofit groups. “There’s no mental health education in K through 12 [school] systems to help people prevent the need for mental health days in the first place,” he says.

Addressing the growing mental health crisis in the U.S. has to be multi-pronged. That won’t happen through a few mental health days.

What This Means For You

If you can’t take mental health days, Sawyer recommends “taking inventory.” Write down your daily activities, and note which ones cause you stress and which bring you joy. Then, “edit” your days in the ways you can. If you notice you are more anxious after having two cups of coffee and watching the news, for example, have one cup of coffee and don’t watch the news.

8 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

World Health Organization.World Mental Health Day 2020.

Hallgren M, Dunstan D, Owen N.Passive versus mentally active sedentary behaviors and depression.Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2020;48(1):20-7. doi:10.1249/JES.0000000000000211

Fraser B, Pierse N, Chisholm E, Cook H.LGBTIQ+ homelessness: a review of the literature.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(15):2677. doi:10.3390/ijerph16152677

Cyrus K.Multiple minorities as multiply marginalized: Applying the minority stress theory to LGBTQ people of color.J Gay Lesbian Ment Health. 2017;21(3):194-202. doi:10.1080/19359705.2017.1320739

Cheng TL, Johnson SB, Goodman E.Breaking the intergenerational cycle of disadvantage: the three generation approach.Pediatrics. 2016;137(6):e20152467. doi:10.1542/peds.2015-2467

Davlasheridze M, Goetz S, Han Y.The effect of mental health on U.S. County economic growth.Rev Region Stud. 2018;48(2):155-71.

Milliman Research.Addiction and mental health vs. physical health: Widening disparities in network use and provider reimbursement.

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?