Mental Health is a delicate subject that hasn’t been talked about in the past, but recently it has come to light that many folks stayed silent. Now there is more talk about taking care of ourselves. I’ve seen more and more automated messages that read "Our office will be out for a Mental Health Day" and companies who make it an effort to allow their employees one day a month to reset mentally.
COVID may seem like one of the main causes of this "mental health revolution", but really it taught us how important our mental health is to our overall wellbeing. Due to the stigma and misconceptions attached to the idea of mental health, many people still struggle to talk about the issue openly. https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/how-to-take-a-mental-health-day#How-to-spend-your-mental-health-day Even with the stigma, employees feel that they may be judged if they admit to mental health issues. However, employers are encouraging employees to take off time to care for themselves when their mental health is suffering and are making mental health days part of the paid sick day benefit. Companies are paying for therapy apps, meditation apps, and encouraging employees to take more breaks. The pandemic “fast-tracked the movement and conversation about workplace mental health." https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/paid-leave-covers-mental-health-days-but-stigma-still-clouds-use We even see this in schools. Seventy percent of schools that responded to a federal survey in April said more students had sought mental health services since the pandemic started. More state schools have moved to allowing students to take off for mental health days. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/06/10/1103939937/kids-mental-health-days As companies recognize that the need for selfcare around mental health is important, they are starting to see happier employees and productivity increases. And folks who need to take a day off to care for themselves mentally, are feeling heard without worry or stigma or judgement. This will help individuals not only feel valued as the person they are, but also valued as a human being rather than just a worker. It’s the difference between them feeling like the black sheep of the company “family” or embraced because of their uniqueness.