Hey readers,
I’m going to let you in on a little secret, but don’t tell anyone, sometimes I skip class. I’m sure you’re thinking, yeah you and everybody else I know. The secret part is why I skip class: to become a better and more focused student. Seems a little backward but taking a mental health day every once in a while is my secret weapon in university. It wasn’t until I fainted from lack of sleep mixed with forgetting to eat, stress does that to me, that I realized never allowing yourself to take a break is the worst thing to do if you want to be successful. There are subtle differences between a day blowing off classes and a mental health day, let me break it down.
Part of being human is struggling occasionally, life is complex and adding deadlines, social pressure and not enough sleep into the mix can make life even more challenging. Taking a mental health day is a great way to check in with yourself, emotionally and physically. I’m here to remind you that you never need to justify your feelings, you’re not alone, we are all stressed out and whether you’re worried about getting a text back, acing an exam or the fate of the climate, your feelings matter. Take a day to hit pause and just get back to the little things that make you happy. It’s not a sign of weakness to take a mental health day, it’s a sign of maturity and a step towards a lifelong healthy relationship with yourself.
My favorite part of taking a mental health day is that I let myself off the hook from any and every responsibility for a whole 24 hours. Apart from a quick email to professors, if necessary, I stay out of my email, I don’t do any reading related to school and I enjoy the gift I have given myself. I literally just do whatever I want to do, catch up on sleep, walk around downtown, go out for a nice lunch, go for that long run I haven’t had time for or just watch Netflix all day. The possibilities are endless. Sometimes in university, our time is not always our own, and when we are not studying or working on that assignment you know you should have started days ago, it’s easy to feel anxious about how you’re spending your valuable time. Granting myself 24 hours to focus on me and my needs without feeling guilty is like hitting a refresh button and leaves me more motivated than before.
The next time you feel burnt out, depressed, anxious or just need time to check in with yourself, take a mental health day. It has been my secret weapon since that fateful and embarrassing day of fainting outside the library. A day of rest and getting back in tune with yourself and your needs will leave you ready to tackle everything life throws at you. We live in a beautiful city, it’s okay to take the time to enjoy it.
-Emma
The views expressed in this blog are my own, and do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of the University of Victoria. I monitor posts and comments to ensure all content complies with the University of Victoria Guidelines on Blogging.