Ever heard of taking a mental health day? While it seems to be an unfamiliar concept in American culture, it\u2019s gaining more traction as Millennials and Gen-Z, or your generation, enters adulthood.\u00a0 Since it\u2019s no secret that college students face a significant amount of stress from their day-to-day routine, you \u2013 yes, you! \u2013 should consider taking a mental health day.<\/p>\n
Defined as a day specifically geared toward stress relief and burnout prevention, a mental health day is one of the most foolproof ways to save your sanity before anxiety fully takes over, inevitably destroying everything in its path, including your academic progress. The ideal mental health day will not only give you the space you need to rest up and recharge, but it will also encourage you to re-evaluate your current perspective and refocus your objectives. Plus, it can include a fun activity, too!<\/p>\n
How can you tell when you\u2019re in need of a mental health day, and once you\u2019ve got one scheduled, how should you spend that uninterrupted 24-hour block of time? Well, we\u2019re glad you asked. uCribs is here with all the answers to your burning questions, starting with 4 reasons why you should take a mental health day and how to spend it once you\u2019re in the clear.<\/p>\n
Reason #1: You\u2019re burnt out.<\/strong><\/p>\n Burnout poses a real threat to college students. Although it\u2019s become normal \u2013 praised, even \u2013 to spend endless hours on assignments, serve on multiple club leadership committees, and commit to a demanding off-campus job, moving at the speed of light for months on end will only lead to the\u00a0dreaded burnout<\/a>. It may not seem like a big deal now, but burnout goes hand-in-hand with anxiety and depression, which can wreak havoc on your health, your grades, and even your personal relationships. Once you\u2019ve officially reached the point of no return \u2013 as in, burnout \u2013 it\u2019s crucial that you commit a day, or even a long weekend, to your recovery.<\/p>\n Reason #2: You want to avoid burnout.<\/strong><\/p>\n You know these feelings all too well: you\u2019re extra tired all the time, but you still force yourself to commit to your strict, and often cramped, daily routine. You\u2019re feeling overwhelmed by your assignments, but you haven\u2019t yet missed a deadline. You\u2019re still clocking in to your college internship three days a week, despite having a million other things on your mind. On the surface, you seem fine \u2013 however, deep down, you know that you may not be able to keep up the pace much longer. If you resonate with these words, it\u2019s safe to say that burnout might be just around the corner, and you should probably take a mental health day in order to avoid its aftermath.<\/p>\n