How to Know You Need a Mental Health Day + Benefits and Ideas

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Wondering how to know if you need a mental health day and what the actual benefits of a mental health day are? I’ve got answers + ideas on how to spend your day!

This post is sponsored by Hydrant Hydration, however, all opinions stated are mine alone.

What is a Mental Health Day

Ah, my favorite kind of days. Mental health days are essentially a day you set aside for YOU. They are all about intentional reflection, relaxation, and rejuvenation.

They are also for anyone and everyone at any point in time.

How to Know You Need to Spend the Day Working on Your Mental Health

Honestly, if you’re asking that question I am going to go out on a limb and assume that you DO need a mental health day.

Here are some tell tale signs of you’re in need of a mental health break:

You’re more anxious than usual
You’re more irritated than usual
You’re having trouble sleeping, even though you’re tired
You’re struggling to focus
Your usual self-help solutions aren’t helping
You’re starting to feel sick (my telltale sign is feeling exhausted and like I was in a car accident)
You’re feeling tense around the clock

Those are just a few. But if you sat there nodding your head while reading through, odds are you are in need of a mental health break.

Mental Health Day Benefits

There are SO many amazing benefits of taking a day for your mental health.

First off, you’re going to feel a lot less cloudy. Taking a day for your brain is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to take care of yourself.

We all know we should be doing little things every day to keep up with caring for our mental health, but even the best self-help tools don’t pull through.

Life catches up to you and suddenly you NEED a break.

That break can help with your:

Anxiety
Anger levels
Sleep habits
Ability to focus
Body tension and aches

As well as help reset your mind so that your typical self-help tools can really help you again!

Some other great posts about mental health days:

8 Signs You Need a Mental Health Break

4 Signs You Need a Mental Health Day

20 Beautiful Ways to Spend a Mental Health Day

What About Those Little, Everyday Things, That Can Help Your Mental Health?

I briefly mentioned the little things you can do daily to help your mental health above, and I wanted to share a few of those things before diving into ideas for how to spend your mental health day.

Keeping up with your regular sleeping routines, eating at regular intervals, daily journaling/reflecting, and working on your passions can help in small ways, but one of the greatest ways to support your mental health is staying hydrated.

I know we’ve all been there before.

Classic dehydration burnout symptoms come on, such as headaches, inability to focus, and low energy, and we often push them off for other things going on.

But the truth is, if you paused and took a minute to hydrate, not only would your body begin to feel better, but your mind likely will too!

The cloudy-ness fades and you feel better.

And in my opinion, every little bit helps when it comes to stabilizing my mental health.

But sometimes we notice those things too late and need a quicker fix than chugging bottle and bottle of water.

That is where my new favorite hydration supplements come in.

I have been LOVING the benefits of Hydrant hydration packs lately. I am definitely one to slack on the water intake (hello coffee) and Hydrant has honestly helped me so much.

It’s easy to forget to drink water between kids, work, and life, so adding in an afternoon Hydrant hydration pack is seriously a lifesaver.

Not only do you physically and mentally feel better, but you’re getting rapid hydration without any artificial sweeteners or colors.

They are the most effective, science-backed lineup of wellness products on the market!

They also have more than just your standard hydration packs.

They offer energy, immunity, and sleep blends in a variety of flavors.

My favorites so far have been their Blood Orange flavored hydrate variety, Raspberry Lemonade energy variety, and their sleep variety.

You can click here to shop all of the flavors!

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How to Spend Your Mental Health Day

Mental Health Day Tips:

start your day slow
make loose plans
listen to your body
ask yourself what YOU would enjoy (not your friends or what would look pretty on social media)
remember to eat, hydrate, and sleep!

Mental Health Day Ideas

binge through this YouTube channel full of the best meditations I’ve ever followed
make yourself a lunch & paint date (find a local painting/art class!)
head out for a low key nature walk (could be a hike or a simple walk through a local park)
go for a nice drive (you don’t have to have anything other than a water bottle + music!)
make simple plans with a friend you can relax around
head out to the beach (my go to!!) with some snacks, hydration, and a book
plan out and make an extravagant meal at home
take yourself out on a nice date or ask a friend to join
head to your local craft store and stroll the aisles until you find something you’d like to try
decorate for an upcoming holiday/season
make a dream board & revisit your goals/wants out of life
do absolutely nothing at all (we all need this more often!)

Or anything else that came to mind when reading through that list! Just remember, a mental health day needs to be a BREAK! That is why I suggested no making solid plans and taking the day slow.

Now, keep hydrated my friends!

I hope you have a beautiful day.