Taking a Day Off, While Working From Home

I have always had an uneasy feeling about taking a "mental health" day.

This might be because I am American, however. In the US, we are brainwashed into saving up as many of our leave days as we can. When I tell people this, they are astounded, but you have to remember, oftentimes, our sick days in the US come out of our vacation/holiday pay, or are tied in somehow.

When I moved to Australia, I had to adjust my thinking. I was given two separate buckets. One that would be 'filled' up with accrued sick leave, and the other with vacation time. I still have to fight internally to take sick days. I often rationalise it still with notions of "I will work until lunch, put in half a day, and then go home." Nevermind the fact that I am exposing the office to whatever cough or cold I was gifted from my children.

Mental health days are much the same. I don't view taking one as a sign of weakness, or look down on someone who needs to take one. I am not in their shoes, and not privy to what goes on outside of work in their lives. My disdain for it is probably due to the fact that I was raised and worked within that American system. I was told to wait until the weekend, go outside, or in general "suck it up". But I think what is happening around us warrants taking a day off, if nothing else, for our own sanity.

For a lot of people, myself included, the past few weeks and months have meant a major change in our work lifestyle. Those of us who had 9-5 office jobs have had to adjust to working from home. Those who already worked remotely have now had to adjust to partners and housemates as their new 'officemates', and we parents have had to take on teaching duties on top of all this. This does not take in to account the ability that many people had to 'leave things at the office.' Computers have made working remotely possible and allowed many business sectors to continue to work and employ people during COVID-19, but we need to remember to turn off the computer at 5 pm, or whenever your day ends.

Working part-time is harder. If your company tells you to put in a certain allotted time on the clock, many of us (myself included) feel bad leaving work unfinished. When I worked from home in the years before this 'new normal', I often would not take lunch into well after 2 pm as I wanted to prove that I was not abusing this privilege. If your company is not paying you beyond X hours, I am not saying to stop right at the bell, but don't feel bad if you decide you need another day to complete the work.

With holidays and happy events having to be cancelled across the board, a day off is even more important now than ever. We often joke that "we don't know what day it is today" because they are blending in together. We cannot go out on the weekends, and cannot go to an office on the weekdays. Take that day off to unplug. Both metaphorically and physically. Turn off the electronics and just be content. Things that were just small annoyances last year have been compounded this year as we all struggle to socially distance when we need our social circles the most.

I suppose what I am saying is that it is okay to take a day off.

It feels weird, as your computer is right there and you can just 'get through another hour', and it would be great to save up those days for when things open up again. But what will feel even weirder is being angry at those around you for no reason. While those of us with kids cannot always get alone time (personal space went out the window when they came), try to find a quiet activity when you do get those precious moments. Turning on the TV is not a day off. We all do that at the end of most days. Do something you normally wouldn't do.

If you or someone you know is struggling at this time, please utilise your local resources in order to make sure those pressures are not overwhelming, if you feel that you cannot go to a friend or family member.

In Australia, please contact Beyond Blue to get the help needed or the Department of Health's Head to Health branch.