One of the key aspects of my recovery identified was 'Mental Health Days', these were days i took off college or school as to work on my mental health at home. These were suggests to me of my therapist at the time, due to the nature that if a suffer was physically ill they'd take time off to recover therefor mental needs this recovery too.
Mental Health Days
'In many workplaces throughout the First World, such as the United States and New Zealand, a "mental health day" is where an employee does not come to work and takes a sick day for reasons other than physical illness. Some people may consider a mental health day to be when someone simply does not feel like coming in to work, but the most accurate use of this term is related to true mental illness rather than a desire to skip work.'
These are not just days when a person doesn't want to come to work but where someone with a mental health issue has a day of to recover for a bad day. These are common practise is some jobs.
'Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, and other mental illnesses can cause severe impairment on one's ability to function in the workplace or other roles. In addition, workplace and other stressors can exacerbate episodes of depression, mania, anxiety, or other illnesses. Left unchecked, mental health may continue to decline and can lead to serious morbidity. However, due to the lack of objective criteria and cultural perceptions that one can easily change mental health status, there may not be a perceived need for time off of work for mental health reasons. Since most places have no law requiring employees to produce a medical certificate for only one day of absence, many people take a day off of work for such mental health reasons without usually stating that it is related to mental health. However, this is not universal. In 2010, the National government of New Zealand proposed a law that will allow employers to require a medical certificate for even one day of absence, however the employer must cover the cost of obtaining the certificate if the duration of absence is less than three consecutive days.'
http://metro.co.uk/2017/07/21/when-should-you-take-a-mental-health-sick-day-6796161/
'When you feel rubbish mentally, it feels impossible. There’s no easy way for you to point to evidence of how you’re feeling, no sniffly nose or cough your boss can hear over the phone, no nipping to the loos to vomit to prompt your deskmate to tell you to bloody well go home, no dodgy takeaway you can blame for the gurgling in your stomach. Add to that the awkwardness of admitting that you’re struggling, and this struggle can feel insurmountable.
Hence why we end up forcing ourselves to go work and stare at a screen while we’re mentally in a pit. It’s hard because there are no clear, defined guidelines to say when you’re mentally unwell ‘enough’ to take a day off.
When it comes to physical illness, I’ve always said that if I’m throwing up, I’m definitely not going into work. There’s no easy marker like that for mental illness. But that doesn’t mean we should be forcing ourselves to work, day in, day out, when our mental health isn’t great.
Mental health is just as important as physical health, and mental health sick days are just as valid as any day you’d take off for the flu. So, because I know that sometimes, we need an official checklist so we feel alright taking the day off, here are some signs that it’s completely okay to take a mental health sick day.'
-You’re dreading going into work
-You can tell your mental health would stop you from working to your best ability
-You have an appointment
-You need a day to be proactive, Sick days shouldn’t be taken whenever you feel anxious or low, as this can set you up for a pattern of avoidance, telling your brain that it’s right, things are too scary to overcome
-If you can tell going into work will prevent you from doing that essential stuff and end up sending you towards burnout
-it’s also brilliant to openly say that you’re taking time off for mental health reasons
-Is going into work going to make me feel better or worse?
-Will you do a good job at work today?
-Do you really need to be at work today?
If you have longterm mental health issues, talk to your boss face-to-face It’s important that your boss has an understanding of what you’re going through, and will be prepared if you need to take the occasional day off to deal with things.
It’s okay to lie if it’s a one-off… Don’t feel guilty if you’re more comfortable telling your boss you have food poisoning than having a chat about mental illness. It’s a shame that there’s still so much awkwardness around talking about mental health, but if you’re not up for chatting about it, it’s not your responsibility to change things when you’re feeling rubbish. Give yourself permission to blame the flu if you’re not quite ready to be honest to your boss. That’s totally fine as long as it’s a one-off sick day. If they’re a more regular occurrence, it’s probably time to open up'
https://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2017/07/27/if-the-reason-you-want-to-take-a-mental-health-day-falls-into-any-of-these-3-categories-go-to-work/#6a0b91244c51
'The subject of “mental health days” has been a hot topic ever since Madalyn Parker’s story went viral. When Parker told her co-workers she needed to take a few days off to care for her mental health, her supervisor commended her for helping break down the stigma associated with mental illness. Since many supervisors wouldn’t have had such a positive reaction to an employee taking a mental health day, the story has gone viral. And it’s led to a lot of discussions in the media about when, why, and how to take a mental health day.
As a psychotherapist, it’s a subject I’ve addressed regularly with patients over the years. Some of them feel guilty about taking a day off even when they aren’t able to function on the job. Others want to take time off any time they feel stressed out or stretched too thin. There are plenty of ways a mental health day can be good for you.
But if you take them for the wrong reasons they could backfire — and actually make your mental health worse. If the reason for wanting a mental health day falls into these three categories, you’d be better off going to work:
1. You plan to stay in bed all day.
2. You are anxious about a workplace issue.
3. You don’t feel like socializing.
Take Care of Your Mental Health If you’re going to take a mental health day, use your time wisely. See your therapist, schedule an appointment with a doctor, do some yoga, or reconnect with nature. But make sure you’re doing something that will improve your mental health over the long-haul. Just like you should be exercising to take care of your physical health, you should also do mental strength exercises to care for your mental health. A proactive approach to self-care will help you stay in better shape physically and mentally.
And if you need a day off once in a while to care for your mental health, don’t be afraid to take it. Sometimes slowing down and caring for yourself can go a long way to helping you become mentally stronger.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4692222/Should-mental-health-days-work.html
'But should we take time out of our busy, daily lives like this? Psychotherapist says yes – because allowing ourselves time out to feel miserable now and again is the key to happiness.'
'The Pixar movie is set in the mind of a young girl named Riley Andersen, where five personified emotions – Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust – try to lead her through life as her parents move towns and she has to adjust to her new surroundings. University of Melbourne researchers said that society's downright shunning of being sad could be harmful for sufferers of the blues.
For the study published in the journal Depression and Anxiety, the researchers assessed 112 depressed patients. Each volunteer was asked to rate their symptoms of the blues and how much pressure they faced to be happy. They were tracked over a period of one month. The study showed that patients under pressure to fit in with society's pressure to be happy had worse symptoms. Dr Brock Bastian, a psychologist behind the study, said: 'Depression rates are higher in countries that place a premium on happiness. 'Rather than being the by-product of a life well-lived, feeling happy has become a goal in itself. 'Smiling faces beam at us from social media and happiness gurus flog their latest emotional quick fixes.' This reinforces the message that 'we should aim to maximise our positive emotions and avoid our negative ones', he told Futurity.
The moral of the story is an unusual one in the upbeat world of movies for youngsters: it’s ok to be sad.'
'as much as one third of British workers say they are suffering from anxiety, depression or stress, according to a recent survey.'
''A poll of 2,000 people by management consultancy firm PwC in junior and senior jobs found 34 per cent of employees in the UK are facing health and well-being problems. And two in five workers said they have taken time off because of mental health issues. '
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40593256
'In the UK, there is no legal difference between taking a mental health sick day and a day off for a physical problem like a back problem.'
'Last year, Britons took 137 million sick days. Of these, 15.8 million days were for a stated mental health issue - whether that is stress, depression, anxiety or a more serious condition such as manic depression and schizophrenia - according to Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey statistics.'
'Large companies are keen to say they are supporting staff and tackling stigma around mental health. Some 500 companies - including Tesco, Unilever and M&S - have made a pledge known as "Time to Change", where they commit to tackling problems like anxiety and depression in the workplace.'
'"When you look at the reality of the situation, mental health isn't being addressed properly," says Sam Gurney, head of equality and strategy at the Trades Union Congress (TUC).'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/mind/do-need-mental-health-sick-day-do-ask-one/
''A study by Happiness Works in March 2017 showed that nearly two-thirds of UK employees suffered from stress at work.'
'We all have mental health just as we all have physical health," says Madeleine McGivern, Head of Workplace Wellbeing Programmes at Mind, "and it can fluctuate. Things like long working hours, excessive workload, and poor relationships with colleagues can all lead to unmanageable stress, which in turn can worsen or cause a mental health problem."
'As with the flu, it can be a battle to get to work when you're struggling with your mental health, so treat it exactly the same. If you cannot get to work then you have to take time off. Employers also need to understand that without strong mental health among the workforce, productivity declines.'
http://www.salary.com/calling-in-sick-7-good-reasons-7-lame-reasons/slide/4/
Madalyn story was discussed in many of the articles researched. Madalyn emailed in sick to work due to mental health issues, this was then meet with a supportive message from her boss, supporting her decision to take the day of and remove the stigma.
Madalyn story was used as a platform to show others that bosses, workplace and others will be more supportive of the issue as a valid cause for a day off. This demonstrates the need for these days but also that it's not seen as a negative quality, rather as a good aspect to improve.
IDEAS-
MAKE A CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR MENTAL HEALTH DAYS
MAKE A CAMPAIGN SUPPORTING JOBS TO ALLOW MENTAL HEALTH DAYS
SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH DAYS
EXPLAIN MENTAL HEALTH DAYS
GIVE MENTAL HEALTH DAYS AS A COMPING METHOD
No comments:
Post a Comment