Mental Health Day Checklist: feel better with these 7 things

For when you have “one of those days”.

Before my birthday, I had multiple days where I needed to take a “mental health day”.

And what exactly is a mental health day? It is when you take a day off your responsibilities (e.g. work, studies) to focus on your emotional/mental wellbeing.

Some mental health days are planned to prevent burnout and improve your productivity in the long run. However, some mental health days are spontaneous because you already feel burnt out and overwhelmed.

Before my birthday, I had mental health days because I felt burnt out and emotional. Multiple stressors were happening at that moment and I had to take some days off to reset and recharge.

I’ve had mental health days before, mainly the spontaneous ones. Overtime, I have learned a few things that have helped me make the most of a mental health day, as someone who loves to be “productive”.

And also, these are things that have helped me feel better in the short term, and eventually the long-term. This blog post will share what you can include in your mental health day checklist. You will learn of ONE main task you can do to prepare for it already, and a few tasks that you can do during your mental health day to give you a boost.

Let’s dive in.

Preparation

Preparing for the days when you feel low or burnt out is also a necessity. It’s similar to preparing an “emergency kit” for natural disasters or even a first aid kit. You have those emergency kits so you’ve got everything you need when you need it.

Preparing for a mental health day is similar. The main components of it are simply things that will make you feel better.

1 – Have a go-to list of things that will make you feel better AND worse

Your go-to list of things that will make you feel better are activities you enjoy and boost your mood.

Your go-to list of things that will make you feel worse are activities that drain your mood so you avoid doing them.

Examples of things that can make you feel better:

• Listening to music
• Watching a comfort food
• Eating a comfort food
• Reading a book

On the other hand, these are activities that will make you feel worse, hence, you avoid them:

• Scrolling on social media
• Going on your phone
• Reading the news

By having these go-to lists you know what to avoid and what you can do immediately to help boost your mood and make your day slightly better.

2 – Create a literal kit

If you want to take it a step further, you can create an “emergency kit” for your mental health days. These can include things that you need for the activities you listed. Examples include:

• A lighthearted book/TV show/movie
• Favorite snacks/drinks
• Stress balls
• Coloring books
• Puzzles

The best part about this is that it’s all up to you what you want to put in it. By having a little “emergency kit” for those days, you have some options on what you can do to avoid falling into unhealthy habits (e.g. scrolling, going on your phone, etc).

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On the day of your mental health day:

These are some little tasks you can do when you have “one of those days”. They may seem like small tasks but they can help boost your mood, even in a small way.

1 – Be kind to yourself no matter what

When your friend/loved one has a rough day, you are not going to force them to be productive, tell them that they are lazy, or that they’re weak. The same thing applies when you’re the one having a rough day.

I know for myself that when I am doing “nothing”, I get so much productive guilt because I always feel like I need to be doing something. However, a golden rule for self-talk especially during that kind of days is this question: would you still be friends with someone if they talked to you the way you spoke to yourself? If the answer is not yes, then it’s your sign to change the way you talk to yourself.

So, when you’re having a mental health day, and you’re taking time off from your responsibilities, make a slight effort to be kind to yourself, listen to your needs, and care for yourself as you go. By doing this, you don’t feel the productive guilt and focus on caring for your well-being.

2 – Take a shower

I’m guessing anyone reading this will know how to do this right?

But all jokes aside, sometimes taking a shower can be a great mood booster.

First, taking a shower makes you feel clean and fresh, which are good physical feelings to have when you want to feel better.

And also, I like to view taking a shower as “washing the bad away”. It may seem like a silly metaphor, but truthfully, there is some power in that. Nonetheless, if I feel groggy or unhygienic, it doesn’t help me feel better during a mental health day.

Personally, if I’m having a bad day, one of the first things I try to do is take a shower and see how much of a difference it makes. Most times, I feel slightly better and more motivated to do some other things.

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3 – Get some fresh air

Keep in mind that getting fresh air can range from taking a walk to just simply stepping outside for a few minutes to get some fresh air.

I’ll admit that staying indoors all day can get in my head, so going out to get some fresh air is refreshing. Most times, when you need a different environment, going outside for fresh air and a breather can make a difference.

When you’re having a mental health day, it’s a good idea to go outside and see how you feel from there. Also, nature feels great in general anyway. If you want to make it more enjoyable, you can listen to music or a podcast while you’re outside.

4 – Watch a light-hearted TV show/movie

Let’s admit that watching TV can be such a relaxing activity. That’s why it’s included in this list.

I can understand why some say watching TV can be unproductive, especially if you have many things to do. However, if you want to relax, and some entertainment, by all means, watch your favorite TV show or movie.

When you’re having a mental health day, maybe you don’t want to read, journal, or do a puzzle. Maybe, all you want to do is go on Netflix, put on a comfort show, and zone out for a few episodes… and that is fine.

I love watching my favorite comfort show (Friends fan anyone?), especially during my low mood and emotional days. I also love watching TV when it’s my downtime on my regular days because it is relaxing. Of course, if you are always watching horror or something scary and you feel like you don’t feel better, maybe you should consider another genre.

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5 – Eat your favorite food

There’s nothing that feels greater than eating something you enjoy. This can be a homecooked meal or something you order for takeout or delivery. It is a popular self-care tip to treat yourself… moreover treating yourself when you’re having one of those days.

It is common knowledge that it is important to eat. It’s also common knowledge that if you are in a low mood and haven’t eaten in a while, it does affect you. Hence, it is important to eat.

Sometimes, a favorite food can do the trick, and you can eat that while watching your favorite TV show or something else. When you’re having a bad day, it’s always good to do your favorite things, and that also includes eating your favorite meal.

So, if you have a favorite meal in mind, maybe include it in your list of things to make you feel better. So at least, you know that if you’re feeling low or burnt out one day, you know what you can cook/order to boost your mood.

Take a SMALL STEP

Here are some small steps you can take to ensure that you’re prepared for any mental health day:

1. Create your list of things that make you feel better and worse so you know what to avoid doing, and what you can do immediately to boost your mood. Some of these activities to make you feel better can include the tasks we mentioned in the blog post including:

• Taking a shower
• Eating your favorite food
• Watching a comfort show/movie
• Getting some fresh air/going for a walk

2. If you want to take it a step further, you can create an emergency kit for your mental health day! These can include items that allow you to do the activities you mentioned in your list.

3. Have a favorite food/drink/snack in mind for what can make you feel better.

4. Have a few TV shows/movies in mind that never fail to make you laugh so you know what you can tune into whenever you feel down.

To Wrap Up

Keep in mind that some days, you don’t feel like “making the most out of your mental health day” and that’s 100% okay! Truthfully, as long as you acknowledge that you need a day to take care of yourself, in whatever way suits you, you are already making the most of it.

Sometimes, taking small steps helps. I know that even taking small steps during bad days like getting fresh air or taking a shower can make a slight difference.

P.S I have written about taking small steps in my book, Small Steps to Progression which you are able to download for free here!

So, if you’re having one of these days, remember that it’s totally human to need one, and sometimes it’s good to have a few ideas in mind on what you can do to feel better. Just remember, to always be kind to yourself.

-Lauren 🙂

And also, I suggest you read these related blog posts next:

• Boundaries: Overlooked Form of Self-care
• How to use self-care to bounce back from a bad day
• 10 Easy Tasks For Your “Get Out of a Funk” Routine

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