by Brian Warriner
The
primary purpose of this blog is to inform, educate, and highlight the
importance of mental health. As such, I have been there, and I share my
experience with you. Making this blog more personal while remaining broad in
the information shared. Being stressed, burned out, and on the verge of a
mental breakdown is never enjoyable. When I look back on my careers in public
education, adult education, and in massage, it was all about service to others,
and believe me, it was not easy, whether it was students who tested your
patience, or the lack of support from the administrators, or clients lying to
you and then trying to give a bad review of your work. When I worked as a
teacher at Harris School of Business in Cherry Hill, NJ. I had a student come
in late; she was so late that she missed half the night. I told her to go on
break and be prepared to give a massage. She reported me to the administration,
saying I refused to let her get a massage. Even after I justified my position
and refused to back down. The director of education demanded that I give her an
apology. I told the director that she could fire me before I did that. I am not
letting one student’s constant disruption of my classroom affect the other
students' education because of her lateness. From there, they continually did
things to add stress. I am a strong person, and after so much crap. I quit, I
stayed till the student I had in the clinic finished. When she was done, I
left. The stress came from the fact that I taught at night and often taught during
the day. However, I could never take a day off at night, because none of the
daytime teachers were willing to cover for us night teachers. However, I was
constantly covering for daytime teachers.
When
I worked two jobs, I loved it; I was not stressed out. I often played to make a
smooth transition. That is how I was; I made sure I did everything I had
prepared myself for in the next job. After years of this kind of action, it
shot my nerves. I only took off when I was sick or I needed to do something
important. It is because of this get up and go and do attitude that damaged my
body. I can sit, stand, or lie down for long periods of time. You can imagine
how I feel when I wake up in the morning. There was never any talk of a mental
health day. It was life; you got up and moved. I lived by that motto, which is
why, physically, I have osteoarthritis throughout my body. If I knew then what
I know now, I would have taken advantage of those days off. Stress can make anxiety
and depression worse, as well as any physical issues you have experienced. I
know this from experience. Especially during the pandemic, everyone’s mental
health came to the forefront. The isolation we all had to endure was difficult
and made life challenging for many people (Clinic, 2022).
Knowing
that your mental health is also as important as your physical health, I would
have taken the day off. To recharge and take a breather. That is in the past
now. Moreover, I have it right now, this moment. I hope to educate people on
the importance of prioritizing themselves and their families. They cannot
replace you. Keep in mind that when you are working, you also need to take occasional
days off to recharge.
The Reasons for a Mental Health Day
Imagine
that you have been working for a year straight, no vacation or time off. You
are beyond exhaustion, on the verge of burnout, and your temper and your
emotions are hostile. Your sleep pattern is off because you are working what
feels like around the clock. Not only are you working, but you are also concerned
about financial burdens and supporting your family. You start hating your job
and feel like you are either overworked or underworked.
I
have experienced being both overworked and underworked. As a massage therapist
at one location, I was busy. From the moment I walked into my last client's.
Even after a challenging start, I made it past my one-year mark, and the
reality that the owners did not increase my commission was a harsh truth. The
increased pay was just a ploy to get more employees. However, I ended up
working as a therapist and the back room spa attendant. I would work days as a
therapist and then come in on other days and work the back room. However, I
would have a room set up just in case I needed to meet with a client.
Eventually, I left that location because I was burned out.
When
I was teaching massage, I worked at another spa location, which was not very
busy because I did not have a car and didn't drive. I had to stay at the spa,
where I would work an eight-hour shift. Either I did not have a client, or it
would be my last hour, after I had seven hours of free time beforehand. I would
like this to be fixed so I can book my other appointments. It is challenging
for me to sit for five hours and then stand up to perform a 50-minute massage.
That applies to many people. When it was my only job, it was the same thing. If
I did not break even, it was because I was, for a time, taking Uber to and from
work. The tips sucked, either they were less than $10 or on a credit card. My
health started to take a downward spiral. My finances went right down the
crapper. I was doing everything that I could to make money. I was also working
as a professional psychic medium. I did not have any clients for readings,
despite my greatest efforts. It was the beginning of a desert period for me.
To
say I was stressed out does not begin to cover it. I was sick, I was mentally
getting fed up, and I was just lost. I was in the biggest hole of my life. No
one could help me get out of it. Depending on my circumstances, taking a mental
health day would have either helped me in one position or hurt me in another.
However, that would not have stopped me from taking one. I would have used the
mental health day to look for another job.
The Benefits of Taking a Mental Health Day
You
have worked hard and have been stressed out. You decide to take a day off from
work and your daily responsibilities. When you start to take a day off
regularly, you will start to feel better. The Mayo Clinic Health System has
reported on the benefits of mental health days. The results of regular mental
health days include reduced feelings of burnout, improved morale and attitude,
and enhanced resilience. In addition to reducing stigma, improving
self-management, and increasing productivity (Theisen, 2022).
However,
you learn how to develop healthy boundaries so that when you are at home, work
ends. You have reduced feelings of isolation and loneliness, and you can
prevent yourself from experiencing a mental health crisis. You reduce
presenteeism and long-term absenteeism (Theisen, 2022). These benefits are
important, especially when you think of having a mental health crisis and needing
to spend time away from work. Even though the Family and Medical Leave Act
allows up to 12 weeks of paid leave (Andronic, 2025). It is important to know
if you need to take time away to seek mental health help or care for someone
who is going through a mental health crisis.
Physically,
you will lessen the effects of stress on your physical body. Your health will
improve, and the best part is that you won't be wearing your shoulders as earrings.
Stress can cause chest pains, panic attack-like symptoms, shortness of breath,
dizziness, headaches, indigestion, and many other issues. Stress can also cause
issues with your sex life. In men, it can decrease their testosterone levels
and affect their sex drive. In women, it can make it harder for them to
conceive and affect their menstrual cycle (American Psychological Association,
2014).
Each
of your body systems is affected by stress, and when you are dealing with
chronic stress, it makes things worse. You can develop diseases because of
stress. Then how good are you to yourself and your family if you are sick
because of the stress of work and life, and the burdens that come with it?
What To Do on Your Mental Health Day
You
planned your mental health day, and you picked the date. However, what will you
do on your mental health day? Moreover, I am sorry to the spouses out there. A
mental health day is not a day for the honey-do list. That is saved for another
day.
What
should you do for your mental health day? Really, anything you want, but in
case you are stuck for ideas, I have some ideas. You could sleep in, spend time
by your pool, or go for a hike. Make sure to disconnect from work and your
responsibilities. Another great idea is to go to a spa for a massage and
treatments, get up and move your body, stay off social media, and have a movie
date by yourself (Health, 2025). Take yourself on a self-care date and focus
solely on yourself.
When
I was a massage therapist, I was my clients' mental health day. They were my
weekly regulars. They would book with me on certain days. I would know this is
so, they are a 50-minute massage with aromatherapy, or an 80-minute massage with
a foot treatment. They were also generous cash tips. As I was preparing to
leave, I referred to another therapist who would take care of them. I was
burned out.
However,
as you plan your mental health day, you should do something that recharges your
battery, allows you to decompress, and digest what is going on. Give yourself
the time to relax. If you take a mental health day, consider using it to attend
therapy or consult a holistic practitioner, such as a reiki specialist
(Skowron, 2015).
Why Employers Should Cover Mental Health
Days?
I
know some companies offer mental health days for you to take when you need them.
It is important to know if your company offers mental health days. If so, take
advantage of them, because I cannot stress this enough: you are important, you
have a family, and many special moments are coming that you need to be there
for, which is why I understand both sides of this argument. I believe companies
should offer their employees a mental health program that includes mental
health days. As a business owner, you need to keep your employees happy. Screw
them over, and you will be screwed. In my careers, I have been screwed by business
owners.
As I researched
this specific topic, I found that proponents of this argument favor workers
more because it benefits them in terms of both their physical and mental
health, including improved morale, enhanced productivity, and a healthy
work-life balance. The other proponents
are against the workers. From a policy perspective, employees may abuse the mental
health policy, raise legal issues, and potentially disrupt workflow (Andronic,
2015).
However,
if you have a mental health crisis or a loved one is having a crisis, the
United States has no mandate for mental health days. However, we have the
Family and Medical Leave Act, which allows you to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid
leave with job security. I know you are asking about what if one takes the Family
and Medical Leave Act to seek mental health treatment. The Americans with Disabilities
Act allows employers to make reasonable accommodations for their employees (Andronic,
2025).
References
Clinic, C. (2022, April 11). Is Taking a Mental Health
Day Actually Good For You? Cleveland Clinic.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/is-taking-a-mental-health-day-actually-good-for-you
Theisen, A. (2022, October 4). Recharge With a Planned
Mental Health Day. Mayo Clinic Health System.
Andronic, S. (2025, August 26). Should Employers Offer
Mental Health to Employees? Mediatopia for Work.
Mediatopia.com.
https://mediatopia.com/en/forwork/articles/should-employers-offer-mental-health-days-to-employees
American Psychological Association. (2024, October
21). Stress Effects on the Body.
American Psychological
Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/body
Health, R.M. (2025, March 4). The Importance of Mental
Health Days: Why It is Good to Take a Break Sometimes.
Relief
Mental Health. https://reliefmh.com/blog/the-importance-of-mental-health-days-why-its-good-to-take-a-break-sometimes
Skowron, C. (2025, April 23). Mental Health Days:
Restorative or Risk? Psychology Today.
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