Reasons Why Nurses Need Mental Health Days

A mental health day off is that which an employee takes a break from work for stress relieve and renewing vitality.

Occupational stress is not unusual for nursing because it is a fast-paced profession that requires tremendous amounts of energy, focus, and responsibility. Nurses need mental health days rather than always holding onto the culture of survival among nurses even when the work environment is difficult to the extent of causing because with time it might cause anxiety and depression. Nurses have to deal with long working hours, short staffing, uncooperative patients and emergencies. Depressed nurses will have difficulties concentrating, thinking critically, communicating and time management.

The aftermath of depression for nurses might cause a lapse in nursing judgment and medication errors. Nurses, therefore, require taking some time off their duties. Sometimes a mental health day off is the best thing that a nurse can do when they are feeling anxious because it allows relieving of stress and prevents burnout. A day off might not solve bigger underlying problems that cause burnout but provides the necessary break to pause, recuperate and return to work with high levels of energy.

When do Nurses Need Mental Health Days

There are times when mental health days are vital for nurses. A nurse needs to take mental health day off if one or a combination of these issues is happening.

1.Distraction by something that requires addressing within a short time. For example, a nurse can be behind bills and a day off will create time to adjust a budget. Taking time off makes sense if it will create time for generating a solution that will bring back a feeling of control.

2.A degree of self-neglect. Human beings like electronic devices need a recharge, and it is essential to take time from work and re-energize. Spending a little time alone creates a more moment for self-care and can improve performance after returning to work with more zeal.

3.A requirement to attend an appointment for mental health. It is crucial to take time off and spend it to address mental health issues. A visit to a doctor for medication or honoring an appointment with a therapist helps to revive optimal mental performance.

Solutions for Reasons Why Nurses Need Mental Health Days

Planning

It might not be beneficial to take a mental health day without determining the effective activities. It should not be just a reason for calling in sick without determining how to sort out the problems. Stress and anxiety are extremely emotional experiences that occur due to a cause that needs avoiding. Those who call in sick every time they feel stressed or anxious are creating a habit of using this as their response to the two conditions, but it will not take away the underlying issues. Escaping from stress will not solve it.

A mental health day should come with a plan of identifying the cause of stress. It can be meeting that a nurse dreads attending or a task with a near or past deadline. Taking a day off will not only postpone but not solve the problem thus it is essential to address the triggers of anxiety such as completing a task at hand.

A mental day off should also be an occasion for knocking off the other sources of stress in a non-working environment. A busy nursing schedule can interfere with the ability to perform other chores such as cleaning the house, organizing family affairs or paying bills. It is useful to spend mental health days by dealing with tasks and issues that might damage personal relationships. A nurse can plan for mental health day to be at a time when a spouse, partner, a close friend or family are available to spend time together.

Relaxation

It is paradoxical to take time off work and do more work at home. The priority should be to deal with stress away from work because nurses who turn up to work with relaxed minds are more capable of handling career relating pressure. Creating a serene atmosphere helps to relieve pressure from the body and mind. Meditation, yoga, listening to soothing music, steam bath, and light physical exercises are some of the activities that help fight stressors on mental health days.

Nurses can consider taking mental hours instead of days but on regular days. Frequent mental activities help to prevent a buildup of stress to intolerable levels.