Mental Health Days are Necessary for Preventing Burnout: Use Your PTO
…Because you deserve you at your best.
Let’s get one thing straight: taking a mental health day isn’t a weakness. It’s a high-performance strategy. In a world that glorifies overachievement, constant availability, and “grinding” like it’s a personality trait, the people who pause—on purpose—are the ones playing the long game.
If you’re a high achiever, odds are you’re used to pushing through. You pride yourself on being the one who gets it done. You’re likely juggling a high-stakes job, personal responsibilities, and a mental to-do list that never shuts off. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: that relentless pace isn’t sustainable. And eventually, your body will call your bluff.
Mental health days aren’t indulgent. They’re non-negotiable.
This article is your playbook for understanding why these days matter, how they work on a biological level, and how to make them a regular, effective part of your high-achieving life.
What Exactly Is a Mental Health Day?
A mental health day is a deliberate pause. It’s a day away from work or other responsibilities, specifically intended to address psychological, emotional, and physical stress. Think of it as a personal systems check: your chance to down-regulate, process, and reset before burnout takes the wheel.
Unlike vacations, which often come with their own logistics and social obligations, a mental health day is about tuning into what you need—not what looks good on Instagram. It’s about recovery, not escape.
Chronic Stress and Burnout—Is a Real Occupational Hazard
According to the World Health Organization, burnout is a workplace phenomenon resulting from chronic stress that hasn’t been successfully managed. Sound familiar?
As a health coach who specializes in stress and burnout recovery, I can tell you: the smartest, most capable people are often the most at risk. Why? Because high performers tend to:
Ignore early signs of fatigue.
Over-identify with their job roles.
Attach self-worth to productivity.
Burnout isn’t just being tired. It’s emotional depletion, cognitive fog, low-grade anxiety, sleep disruption, and a loss of meaning. And once it hits, it can take months to undo the damage.
Mental health days are your early intervention strategy.
What Happens When You Don’t Hit Pause
When you operate in overdrive for too long, your body and brain respond with a predictable cascade of effects:
Chronic Cortisol Exposure: Your stress hormone stays elevated, leading to weight gain, sleep issues, and inflammation.
Impaired Prefrontal Cortex Function: The part of your brain responsible for decision-making, focus, and planning starts to downshift.
Amygdala Hijack: Your fear and emotion center becomes hyperactive, making you reactive and emotionally volatile.
Taking a mental health day breaks this loop. It tells your nervous system: we're safe now, you can stand down.
The Science: Rest Is a Productivity Tool
Mental health days aren’t about doing nothing. They’re about giving your brain the recovery it needs to function better.
Neuroplasticity: Your brain reshapes itself through rest and downtime. No rest? No growth.
Creativity and Problem-Solving: Stepping away from complex tasks enhances insight and innovation.
Emotional Regulation: Recovery boosts the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and oxytocin, which improve mood, empathy, and social connection.
The result? You return to work with more clarity, more patience, and more resilience. In short, you operate like the leader you actually are.
How to Know When You Need a Mental Health Day
Here’s the checklist no one gives you in business school:
You wake up tired even after 8 hours of sleep.
You’re snapping at your team, your partner, or your barista.
You feel foggy, indecisive, or like your brain has hit a wall.
You’re disinterested in things you normally enjoy.
Your body is speaking up: headaches, digestive issues, back pain, etc.
If any of this feels familiar, don’t wait until things explode. That’s not strength—that’s sabotage.
What to Actually Do on a Mental Health Day
This is not your permission slip to binge Netflix in bed all day (though if that genuinely helps you reset, go for it). A high-impact mental health day involves intentional recovery.
Here’s what that could look like:
Morning: Sleep in. Hydrate. Do 10 minutes of breathwork or meditation.
Midday: Take a long walk or gentle workout. Eat a nutrient-dense lunch.
Afternoon: Journal or reflect. Read something unrelated to work. Call a friend who energizes you.
Evening: Tech-free unwind time. Take a bath. Go to bed early.
Bonus points if you book a therapy or coaching session, get outside, or spend time with someone who makes you feel seen.
How to Take a Mental Health Day
Step 1: Recognize the Need
The first step is acknowledging when you need a mental health day. Signs include:
Persistent fatigue or low energy
Irritability or emotional instability
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Physical symptoms like headaches or muscle tension
Step 2: Plan Ahead
While mental health days can be spontaneous, planning them in advance—where possible—helps ensure you can step away without guilt or logistical challenges.
Step 3: Use the Time Intentionally
A mental health day is not about staying in bed scrolling through social media. Consider these activities:
Restorative Rest: Take a nap, meditate, or practice deep breathing exercises.
Physical Activity: Go for a walk, do yoga, or engage in a low-stress workout.
Creative Outlets: Write, paint, or play music to tap into the restorative power of creativity.
Social Connection: Spend time with supportive friends or family members who uplift you.
Professional Support: Use the day for a therapy session or a coaching meeting.
Step 4: Reflect and Reset
At the end of your mental health day, take time to reflect on what you needed and how the day served you. Use these insights to identify ongoing self-care strategies.
Overcoming Barriers to Taking Mental Health Days
Internal Barriers
Guilt: Many high achievers struggle with guilt over taking time off. Remember, self-care is not selfish—it’s essential.
Perfectionism: Let go of the belief that you must always be “on.” Recognize that rest enhances your ability to perform at your best.
External Barriers
Workplace Culture: Advocate for policies that support mental health, such as flexible schedules or designated mental health days.
Managerial Resistance: Frame your request for time off in terms of long-term productivity and well-being.
How to Make Mental Health Days a Habit
1. Plan Preventatively: Don’t just take a day when you crash. Schedule regular days off as part of your self-leadership strategy.
2. Communicate Strategically: You don’t need to overshare. A simple “I’m taking a personal day” is enough.
3. Stack Your Habits: Use mental health days to reinforce other recovery tools—like sleep hygiene, mindfulness, or movement.
4. Reflect Regularly: After each mental health day, journal:
What helped?
What do I need more of?
What signs did I miss leading up to this?
The Path Forward
For Individuals
Normalize Rest: Build mental health days into your routine, viewing them as preventive care rather than reactive fixes.
Communicate Needs: Be transparent with employers, colleagues, and loved ones about the importance of these breaks.
Invest in Resilience: Pair mental health days with daily practices like mindfulness, exercise, and healthy nutrition.
For Organizations
Normalize Mental Health Time Off: Add it to your wellness policy.
Train Managers: They should know how to spot burnout and support their teams.
Model the Behavior: Leaders who take care of their own well-being give others permission to do the same.
Measure the Impact: Track burnout, engagement, retention. Spoiler: Mental health investments pay off.
Final Thoughts
Mental health days are not for the weak. They’re leadership tools. They’re self-preservation. They’re how you stay sharp, strategic, and sane in a high-pressure world.
Whether you're climbing a corporate ladder, running your own business, or just trying to stay afloat in an always-on world, the ability to pause and recalibrate isn’t optional. It’s a skill.
So the next time you feel like you're too busy to take a break? That’s your sign that it’s exactly the time to take one.
Because your health deserves more than just PTO accruals and productivity metrics. It deserves you at your best.
Need Help? Success isn’t sustainable without a regulated nervous system.
If you want to be calm under pressure and bounce back faster, you need more than willpower.
🧠 Book your free 20-minute strategy session. Let’s build a system that actually supports your success.