Although I feel like I say it every year, this year has truly been one of my busiest. Each minute of each day has been dedicated to accomplishing a task. Even if I could have free time, it was spent preparing ahead of time in anticipation of an even busier week. My weekends were consumed by a long list of things to do.
Then this week the clouds of work, school and extracurricular activities suddenly parted and free time shone down like rays of sunshine. No, even better, it was like a rainbow! This free-time was totally unanticipated and it could not have been more needed. It got me thinking of how unappreciated yet necessary days off can be. To quote one of my favorite TV shows, Parks and Recreations, everyone needs a “Treat Yo Self” day.
How exactly does one “treat yo self” you ask? Any way you want. You take a day off or even a few hours out from your schedule and your obligations and do whatever you want. It could be lying in bed all day on a Netflix bender, going shoe shopping or deep cleaning your apartment. My personal favorite is to pursue Tuesday Mornings and Goodwill for completely unnecessary items or crafts that I can buy for super cheap. Whatever makes you happy is what you do on a “treat yo self” day.
The “treat yo self” day is more than you just playing hooky. It is vital to your well-being. Whenever you get a cold, the best way to recover is to take a day off and rest. When you strain a muscle, you need to take it easy for a while and not use it. In the same sense, mental health is important to your well-being.
When you get stressed, overwhelmed or simply down in the dumps, you tend to tell yourself to push through instead of taking a break to reset and relax your mind. Laurie Tarkan, a health journalist for the New York Times, has written and spoken in depth about the importance of mental health days in the workplace. They serve to recharge your batteries.
By taking a day off you return to work more energized and more productive and get more accomplished in the long run. The American Medical Association and American Physiological Association have made a push to make mental health days as common as taking a sick day citing the importance of promoting mental health in the workplace.
So whether school, work or just life in general has gotten you feeling blue, if you are too exhausted to go further, take a day off. The world will still be spinning and won’t crumble from one day off. You will be more rejuvenated and more inspired, accomplishing later tasks with much better efficiency and vigor after taking time to relax. You have worked hard, you have deserved the right to “treat yo self.”
Anna Rush is a law student from Hattiesburg. She graduated from Mississippi State University in 2011.
