{"id":196937,"date":"2021-10-29T12:27:55","date_gmt":"2021-10-29T16:27:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/?p=196937"},"modified":"2025-06-18T03:38:05","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T07:38:05","slug":"mental-health-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking a Mental Health Day off Work"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If we think about it, the need for a mental health day has risen now more than ever. Everyone at some point has to deal with various stressful issues. Be it home or the office, we all sometimes need some time off to focus on our mental wellbeing. This is especially important if you or your employees have symptoms of anxiety or depression.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ijoem.com\/article.asp?issn=0973-2284;year=2017;volume=21;issue=3;spage=99;epage=100;aulast=Naveen#ref2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">study<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reports that <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy nearly US$ 1 trillion each year in terms of lost productivity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taking a mental health day can sometimes be the best thing you can do for yourself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So how can your employees or even you, take a mental day off work? And while you take one, what should you be doing?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this article, we will see how to take a mental health break along with a few things you or your employees should do during your mental health break. So let\u2019s begin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:960px;max-width:100%;margin:5px auto;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_G0XUimJbz44\"><div id=\"lyte_G0XUimJbz44\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FG0XUimJbz44%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/G0XUimJbz44\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FG0XUimJbz44%2F0.jpg\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"960\" height=\"700\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:960px;margin:5px auto;\"><\/div><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=banner&amp;utm_campaign=mental-health-day&amp;utm_content=above-the-fold\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-196713 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Overworked-Employees-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"785\" height=\"128\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Overworked-Employees-1.png 785w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Overworked-Employees-1-300x49.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Overworked-Employees-1-768x125.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Overworked-Employees-1-100x16.png 100w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Overworked-Employees-1-700x114.png 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 785px) 100vw, 785px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">World Mental Health Day<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every year on October 10th, World Mental Health Day is celebrated all over the world. The objective is to make people aware of how important it is to take a mental health break every so often. Additionally, the aim is to highlight mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health initiatives. How can you observe mental health day? Consider the following methods to improve the mental health of employees, not just on one day but every day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consider Group Therapy<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Support groups are a great way to help people struggling with mental issues like stress. Getting to meet other people, sharing stories can go a long way in reducing some of these burdens. However, the choice should be theirs because many people like to be left alone during such times and group therapy can add stress for them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nurture the Mind<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The past year has presented us with new stressors. It is a great idea to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/cultivating-a-mindfulness-culture-in-high-stress-environments\/\">nurture the mind<\/a> with meditation and some light physical activity during such times. At your workplace, dedicate a separate place for such activities to take place. Meditation is known to help reduce stress levels and exercise helps lower anxiety and lower stress levels.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recognize Your Employees\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/employee-recognition\/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=in-line&amp;utm_campaign=mental-health-day\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Appreciating<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> your employees for their hard work is a great way to increase their energy levels. It has many benefits and in fact, a <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/greatergood.berkeley.edu\/article\/item\/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">study <\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reveals that appreciating someone or expressing gratitude has a great impact on the mental health of both the giver and receiver.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let Your Employees Lead Their Day<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During stressful days, ask your employees how they\u2019d like to start their day. What may work for one employee, may not for another. It\u2019s good to make them feel in charge of their workload, even if it is only partially true. It\u2019ll help them feel valued and cared for.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Take a Mental Health Day?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To avoid being stressed out, take some time off work. Doing so will prevent your employees from <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/overworked-employees\/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=in-line&amp;utm_campaign=mental-health-day\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">overwork<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and burnout. For that, they can take the following steps:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plan Ahead\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plan a day off for mental health day ahead of the schedule. Clear all pressing tasks by finishing things earlier or shifting them to another day. Your employees\u2019 mental health should be a priority and steps should be taken to help avoid a stressful day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-196941\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-842554-min.jpg\" alt=\"Stressed\" width=\"950\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-842554-min.jpg 950w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-842554-min-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-842554-min-768x404.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-842554-min-100x53.jpg 100w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-842554-min-700x368.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 950px) 100vw, 950px\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allow Flexibility<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although it makes sense to plan a mental health day a few days before, it will sometimes not be the case. There may be times your employees wake up unproductive and feel stressed out. In this case, make sure you offer a flexible policy for them to take an impromptu mental health day for themselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calling in Sick<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees, if they feel the need, can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/call-in-sick-at-work\/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=in-line&amp;utm_campaign=mental-health-day\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>call in sick<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for a mental health break as well. It is your responsibility to allow your employees to take some time off work to just focus on their mental health. When employees don\u2019t feel mentally well, they wouldn\u2019t be able to give their best on a workday.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make the Best of Weekend\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The weekends are made for us to relax and enjoy. It is important that your employees don\u2019t take their work into the weekends. Encourage them to make the best of those days off and enjoy their time with their family. The idea of weekends should be to come back on Monday with good mental and physical health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What to Do on a Mental Health Day?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even after taking some time off work, most of us don\u2019t indulge in healthy activities that help us get our right headspace back. So what to do on a mental health day?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get Proper Sleep<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Encourage your employees to sleep well. Insufficient sleep is <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/322994#:~:text=Stress%20can%20adversely%20affect%20sleep,physical%20and%20mental%20health%20problems.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">linked<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with high levels of stress. Experts tell us to take at least 7 or 8 hours of sleep in order to remain healthy. Adding a peaceful sleep to their daily regimen will help your employees prevent stress at work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Never Skip Breakfast<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All our lives we are told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and for good reason. Breakfast helps increase our glucose levels which in turn helps with our alertness and energy levels. Skip breakfast and you have the perfect recipe for a stressful and irritating day at work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leave the Work Behind\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You take a mental health day off work to focus on your mental well-being, right? In this case, if there\u2019s one thing that you must avoid, it is work. This time is meant for your employees to do things that they enjoy and not to worry about how much is pending or that they have another day at work tomorrow. While they\u2019re at it, they shouldn&#8217;t think of the past and definitely not worry about their future. Living in the moment is key.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doing Something You Like\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Encourage your employees to do something enjoyable while they\u2019re on their mental health break. These may include activities that your employees don\u2019t get to do on a regular basis. If someone likes painting, have a relaxing day painting. Is a phenomenal singer wanting to practice? Do that. The idea of taking a stress day off work is to make the most of it by not worrying about anything and just allowing the mind to switch off.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Try ASMR<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have you heard of ASMR? If not, it\u2019s time to make friends with it. Autonomous sensory meridian response or ASMR is a tingly relaxing feeling that we get after watching <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/results?search_query=asmr+for+stress\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">videos<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that elicit this response. <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/322994#:~:text=Stress%20can%20adversely%20affect%20sleep,physical%20and%20mental%20health%20problems.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Research<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> claims that it helps relieve negative mood symptoms, including feelings of depression or stress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meditate<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meditation is known to relieve stress. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Practicing meditation produces a relaxation response even in young adults who have never practiced meditation before. The practice of meditation <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.liebertpub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1089\/acm.2010.0142\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reduces<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> physiological stress responses too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Practice Yoga and Exercise\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While your employees are on a mental health day off work, they should indulge in exercises that keep them healthy. Even half an hour of resistance training or just 40 minutes of walking is a great remedy for taking the stress away from our system.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, they can and must practice yoga to reduce their stress levels. A little physical activity goes a long way in improving our mental health. Plus, it will make your employees get back to work in the proper headspace.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nature Walk<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The beauty of nature heals many things, our mental health is one of them. Encourage your employees to take a trip to their favorite nature park. Make the best of their day by going on a picnic with their families and spending a nice day out in the Sun.\u00a0 Even a hike in the mountains or a walk through the forest sometimes has positive effects on our mental health.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If Not a Day, Try Short Breaks<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a short break during a stressful workday works wonders for your employees\u2019 mental health. Even a 15 minutes break in which they can listen to some music, meditate, walk or read something light has many positive effects on mental wellbeing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taking Nap<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a lack of sleep is causing your employees to stress out, they need to complete their sleep quota. Taking a nap is a great way to begin. A 30-minute power nap is sometimes a great remedy to help us regain our strength.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-196942\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-pedro-figueras-626165.jpg\" alt=\"Stress\" width=\"950\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-pedro-figueras-626165.jpg 950w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-pedro-figueras-626165-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-pedro-figueras-626165-768x404.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-pedro-figueras-626165-100x53.jpg 100w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-pedro-figueras-626165-700x368.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 950px) 100vw, 950px\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Things Not to Do on Your Mental Health Break<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While a mental health day should be your day where you get to do everything you want, there are several things you may want to avoid.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stay Away from Social Media<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spending an unhealthy amount of time scrolling through social media has disastrous effects on both our mental and physical health. While it is definitely our eyesight that is at stake, our mental health gets upset when we spend an entire day reading useless posts on social media. Limiting the time on using it is the key. Your employees can use their phones to <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/guide\/mac-help\/set-time-limits-for-apps-and-websites-mchl630bc02f\/mac#:~:text=Choose%20Apple%20menu%20%3E%20System%20Preferences%2C%20then%20click%20Screen%20Time%20.,-Open%20Screen%20Time&amp;text=If%20you're%20using%20Family%20Sharing%2C%20click%20the%20pop%2D,you%20want%20to%20turn%20off.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">set up<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> those limits for themselves, ensuring a healthy time spent on every app.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoid Eating Unhealthy Food<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While a safe amount of it is fine, eating too much unhealthy food may risk your physical health. It is a common tendency for people to binge eat when they\u2019re stressed. This, in turn, stores more fat than usual, leading to serious health problems. In fact, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/news\/press\/releases\/stress\/2013\/eating#:~:text=People%20tend%20to%20seek%20high,than%20when%20they%20are%20relaxed.&amp;text=While%20many%20factors%20contribute%20to,stress%20influences%20our%20eating%20habits.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>thirty-eight percent<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of adults say they have overeaten or eaten unhealthy foods in the past month because of stress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stay Away From Negative Emotions\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When your employees are taking a mental health sick day, they should keep their negative thoughts at a bay. Doing so will not only make their stress worse but they will never be on the way to improvement. Disconnecting from technology, spending a healthy time, doing things you enjoy is some advice to follow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When to Take a Mental Health Day<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So when and how often should you take a mental health day?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many psychologists prefer that we take a mental health day before we feel we\u2019re stressed or burnt out. <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drbukkyk.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dr. Bukky Kolawale<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> says \u2018my best recommendation would be that people plan to take a mental health day proactively rather than reactively.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How many times you take the mental health break depends on the severity. However, the only issue at hand is that most of us won\u2019t be able to plan ahead to take a mental health day because of our hefty to-do lists. In this case, make sure you notice signs in your employees that are screaming that they\u2019re in the dire need of some time off work. It is usually a great idea for your employees to take a mental health day off work if:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They\u2019re Fatigued\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Always look for the physical signs. Chronic fatigue may be one of those signs that tell the condition of your employees. If they look exhausted even after a good night\u2019s sleep, maybe it\u2019s time for them to take a break.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their Reliance on Caffeine Increases<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep an eye on how much caffeine and even nicotine your employees take regularly. If the amount exceeds a dangerous level, there can possibly be an underlying issue. At this point, it\u2019s a great idea for you to have a little time with them and check in on how they\u2019re doing. If the need arises, you can offer them time off work to gain their mental strength back.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their Focus has Lowered<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">See if your high-performing employees suddenly go from being laser-focused to distracted. Not being able to focus on work can have several reasons and personal issues can be one of them. If that is the case, it\u2019s best if your employee takes some rest.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They&#8217;re Feeling Less Productive<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although productivity tends to fluctuate between your employees, if it keeps getting worse, you need to think about what the cause is. Lower work <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/working-from-home-tips-productivity\/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=in-line&amp;utm_campaign=mental-health-day\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">productivity<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can also be a sign that your employees are in the need of a few mental health days.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mental health is as important as our physical health. In the harrowing times, we live in, it\u2019s high time employers allow their employees to take time off work to work on their mental health. Not only will it help with their productivity, but they\u2019ll also come back to work rested and raring to go.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=banner&amp;utm_campaign=mental-health-day&amp;utm_content=final\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-196741 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Unique-Hook-for-Time-and-Attendance-1-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"785\" height=\"128\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Unique-Hook-for-Time-and-Attendance-1-1.png 785w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Unique-Hook-for-Time-and-Attendance-1-1-300x49.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Unique-Hook-for-Time-and-Attendance-1-1-768x125.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Unique-Hook-for-Time-and-Attendance-1-1-100x16.png 100w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Unique-Hook-for-Time-and-Attendance-1-1-700x114.png 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 785px) 100vw, 785px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mental health is important. Read this article to learn how you can help your employees take a mental health day off work effectively.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":196940,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-196937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hr-best-practices","category-productivity"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.8 (Yoast SEO v26.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Taking a Mental Health Day off Work | AttendanceBot<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mental health is important. Read this article to learn how you can help your employees take a mental health day off work effectively.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Taking a Mental Health Day off Work\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mental health is important. Read this article to learn how you can help your employees take a mental health day off work effectively.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"AttendanceBot Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Anaekhq\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-10-29T16:27:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-18T07:38:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-anna-shvets-4226215-min.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"950\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Author\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@anaekhq\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@anaekhq\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Author\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Author\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/83a15ab898fb046f43fe8fc0909d700e\"},\"headline\":\"Taking a Mental Health Day off Work\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-29T16:27:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-18T07:38:05+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/\"},\"wordCount\":2072,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-anna-shvets-4226215-min.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"HR Best Practices\",\"Productivity\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/\",\"name\":\"Taking a Mental Health Day off Work | AttendanceBot\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-anna-shvets-4226215-min.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-29T16:27:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-18T07:38:05+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/83a15ab898fb046f43fe8fc0909d700e\"},\"description\":\"Mental health is important. Read this article to learn how you can help your employees take a mental health day off work effectively.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-anna-shvets-4226215-min.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-anna-shvets-4226215-min.jpg\",\"width\":950,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"low employee engagement\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Taking a Mental Health Day off Work\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"AttendanceBot Blog\",\"description\":\"Musings on Work\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/83a15ab898fb046f43fe8fc0909d700e\",\"name\":\"Author\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/46465fa83979ffe666955581c08d101e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/46465fa83979ffe666955581c08d101e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Author\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.anaek.com\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Taking a Mental Health Day off Work | AttendanceBot","description":"Mental health is important. Read this article to learn how you can help your employees take a mental health day off work effectively.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Taking a Mental Health Day off Work","og_description":"Mental health is important. Read this article to learn how you can help your employees take a mental health day off work effectively.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/","og_site_name":"AttendanceBot Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Anaekhq\/","article_published_time":"2021-10-29T16:27:55+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-06-18T07:38:05+00:00","og_image":[{"width":950,"height":500,"url":"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-anna-shvets-4226215-min.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Author","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@anaekhq","twitter_site":"@anaekhq","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Author","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/"},"author":{"name":"Author","@id":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/83a15ab898fb046f43fe8fc0909d700e"},"headline":"Taking a Mental Health Day off Work","datePublished":"2021-10-29T16:27:55+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-18T07:38:05+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/"},"wordCount":2072,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-anna-shvets-4226215-min.jpg","articleSection":["HR Best Practices","Productivity"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/","url":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/","name":"Taking a Mental Health Day off Work | AttendanceBot","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-anna-shvets-4226215-min.jpg","datePublished":"2021-10-29T16:27:55+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-18T07:38:05+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/83a15ab898fb046f43fe8fc0909d700e"},"description":"Mental health is important. Read this article to learn how you can help your employees take a mental health day off work effectively.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-anna-shvets-4226215-min.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-anna-shvets-4226215-min.jpg","width":950,"height":500,"caption":"low employee engagement"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/mental-health-day\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Taking a Mental Health Day off Work"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/","name":"AttendanceBot Blog","description":"Musings on Work","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/83a15ab898fb046f43fe8fc0909d700e","name":"Author","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/46465fa83979ffe666955581c08d101e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/46465fa83979ffe666955581c08d101e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Author"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.anaek.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196937","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=196937"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196937\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":200022,"href":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196937\/revisions\/200022"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/196940"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=196937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=196937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=196937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}