Should I request time off for mental health issues?

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – Deciding to take time off work isn’t easy, and time off for mental health reasons can be even more difficult.

Deciding to take a step back for your sanity when you’re the youngest member of the UK Parliament is a particularly bold and courageous decision. At the end of May, Nadia Waitumi, 24, reported that she was suffering from PTSD and announced that she had taken several weeks off on the advice of her doctor.

“By being open about my personal struggles with mental health, I hope others also feel that they have the capacity to talk about their issues, and that I can play a small role in creating greater acceptance and facilitating healthier discussions on the matter, ”Whitumi wrote on her website.

A few days later, tennis star Naomi Osaka announced her withdrawal from Roland Garros after refusing to speak to the media. Osaka has revealed that she has “suffered from prolonged bouts of depression” since winning her first Grand Slam title in 2018.

And Osaka and Osaka aren’t the only ones making the decision to stop working for mental health. Health workers and teachers are leaving their posts in droves due to fatigue caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

Journalists are also taking a step back from their demanding jobs, and Stacey Marie Ismail wrote of her decision on Twitter in March: “I’m taking a break, I’m leaving the Texas Tribune, where I spent the last year working. at an incessant rate. ” and intermittent to ensure that the press we supply can meet the demands of the moment.

And Ismail continued, “We were successful. We did, and in the process, I completely drained my energy.”

And in the United States, there is a sense of shared optimism as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted across the country and people return to their old routines. But experts warn there is a second wave of mental health issues to contend with: the long-term effects of increased anxiety, depression, stress and isolation that countless Americans have faced. throughout the pandemic.

Given this, it’s no surprise that many people choose to take time off work.

And while it’s not a privilege for everyone, taking a temporary break from our work can have major benefits. Taking time off can improve long-term job performance and prevent short-term burnout.

Research shows that people who take vacations not only benefit from reduced stress while on vacation, but also experience less fatigue after returning to work.

According to a 2020 report released by the Commonwealth Fund, Americans suffered more from the mental health consequences of the “Covid-19” crisis than people in nine other high-income countries. And 33% of those surveyed said they had experienced stress, anxiety or extreme sadness that is difficult to deal with individually.

Here are some tips for taking time off work for mental health reasons

Make a plan

Before you go on vacation, explore your options for financial support.

You may be able to use paid vacation, sick leave, or family leave. Workers may also be covered by the Family First Coronavirus Response Act, which requires some employers to grant employees paid sick leave or extended family and medical leave for reasons related to COVID-19.

And if paid time off isn’t an option, consider setting some money aside to cover costs while you’re away from work.

Allow yourself to listen to your feelings

The work takes a lot of our time. It is possible that some emotions that you may have left out to do your job, such as sadness, anger, fear, depression, etc., may appear.

While it can be uncomfortable, try to take advantage of these feelings, and this is how the real healing phase begins.

Deal with feelings of sadness and other negative emotions by journaling, taking a walk in nature, or doing psychotherapy.

Identify ways to support yourself when you return to work

Taking time off from work gives you the opportunity to assess which routine is unhealthy for you.

Before heading back to the office, make a list of business decisions, including avoiding the computer screen at certain times and turning off distractions when you need careful thought.

All of this translates into a smoother and less stressful transition to the workplace.

While not everyone can take time off work, there are steps people can take when they feel fatigue is looming.

Prioritize your mental health

And even if you don’t have the option of quitting your job, you can still set boundaries that support your sanity, as Osaka did by choosing not to speak to the media.

And if you’re depressed, anxious, or having trouble concentrating, it’s worth asking for help. Your workplace may have an employee assistance program that provides free, confidential advice.

You can start meditating or start writing a journal of your feelings, or you can identify specific stresses at work and find ways to get away from them.

Take time for gratitude

This last trick is the simplest and perhaps the most effective. Time and time again, research has proven the benefits of gratitude, and people who take the time to be grateful tend to be happier, healthier, and have better relationships with others. During this time, they have lower levels of negative emotions such as anger and depression.