Top Ten Ways To Make Best Use Of A Personal Day

Whether we call them sick days, mental health days, or personal days, what they represent is time off that we need, generally on an immediate basis, to help us keep our sanity. We need to use this time to give back to ourselves. The following are some of the things that we can do to release the overwhelming stress that brought us here.

1. Attitude

Begin this day with the inner knowing that it is your due – that you deserve the time off. How many of us feel guilty for calling in sick when we are not physically sick, but we are mentally and emotionally overwhelmed? We need to give ourselves permission to take the time off, to heal ourselves so that we can go back to work and do our jobs well.

2. Pamper Yourself

Plan your day with care. It may be that staying home and watching the soaps is exactly what you need to do. Or you may decide to clean house and catch up on errands. Or you may want to spend the day at the park, or the beach. Whatever will allow you to relax, to release your concerns, and refuel your energy banks is what you need to do.

3. Work Review

Sometimes it is best to put all thoughts of work, and the origins of your stress, out of your mind on this one day off that you created for yourself. However, there will be times when you need to take action on the cause of you stress. If this is the case, take the time to jot down what has happened, how it has affected you, what are your personal priorities within the situation, and your options for dealing with it. Try to do this early in the day, so that you have a nice block of time later on to do something for yourself, something that brings you joy.

4. Personal Review

Take the time to do an honest assessment of your current situation. Are you happy with your life? Are you happy with your work? Is your stress coming from a sense of unhappiness? What is missing from your life? Are there opportunities for professional growth? Are there opportunities for personal growth? The answers to these questions will help you determine what actions you need to take in your life.

5. Spiritual Review

Where are you spiritually? Is the stress that you are feeling a passing thing, or is it there, to some degree, on a constant basis? Are you at peace with yourself? If not, why not? What is stopping you from living a life of joy? What in your life supports you? What brings you joy? What are you doing out of obligation? Are you living your life according to your beliefs? Are you working towards your goals?  What do you need to do to bring your life back into alignment, so that the “mental health” days are no longer necessary?

6. Do One Thing For Yourself

Do one thing that is just for you. Take your favorite beverage into the back yard and spend some down time admiring the flowers and watching the birds. Spend some time with a favorite book. Watch a favorite movie. Do something supportive for yourself, without thinking of anyone else.

7. Dream

Spend some time developing a dream of what you would like your life to be. What is in your life right now that is not in your dream life? What is in your dream life that is not in your life right now?  These two questions will give you some major clues to the changes that you need to make in your life.

8. Learn One New Thing

Take the time to read and article, to talk to a friend, or to work on a new project. Learn one new idea or skill that will enhance your life.

9. Developing Your Awareness

Take this day off to spend some time developing your awareness of the people and issues surrounding you.  Think about whatever people or issues are overwhelming you. How do you feel about them? What is your reaction to them? What specific things are pushing your buttons? As you develop your awareness to your environment, and the people in it, you give yourself the space to think before acting/reacting. You stay centered and grounded, and your words and actions are in alignment with your ideals and goals.

10. Make A Plan

Are you going to just go back to work and hope that whatever issue or situation that overwhelmed you is going to go away? The peace that you worked so hard to attain one day made well be lost the moment that you return to work if your attitude is that “things will take care of themselves”. You need to make a plan. What changes that are within your power to make will make the situation more tolerable for you? Even if the ultimate solution is to change jobs, an empowering intermediate solution is to take control of what you can take control of.

Enjoy your day off – and make it work for you!