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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Denison chapter.

If you read the title of this article, you know exactly what kind of day I’m talking about. First off, let me say that it’s perfectly okay to have those days, especially since you spend a majority of your other time holding it all together. Admittedly, there are times where you have to bury those feelings away—life happens, and it’s not always fair or considerate. 

But, when you wake up in the morning and you just know that today is not going to be a good day, I’m giving you permission to throw those overs back over your body and escape from the chilled air that’s ready to bite away at your skin. I know it’s hard to always give yourself permission to take a mental health day, but it’s something that must be valued if you want to succeed in life. 

While it is still an issue that needs to be largely recognized by public and private institutions, it’s important to start with knowing what your limits are and taking into account your well-being at all times. As discouraging as it is to hear, schools and jobs aren’t always going to be accomodating for you when it’s so blatantly obvious that you need to take care of your health. That is why you need to be your own advocate and take action into your own hands. Make time for yourself. The last thing anyone needs is for you to put yourself to your absolute breaking point. 

 I constantly hear my closest friends tell me all of the time how poor their health has been lately because of all the stress that they’ve undergone. In fact, I spend most of my time telling people how burnt out I’ve been feeling. It’s sad to hear how normalized the act of “wearing yourself down” with work is somehow equivalent to succeeding in life. It shouldn’t be, and making time for yourself shouldn’t be equated to not doing enough. It’s high time to change that notion once and for all. 

Here are a couple of things that I find helpful in taking care of myself:

  1. Drink tea
  2. Read (or write) 
  3. Bake 
  4. Go for a walk
  5. Solve a puzzle
  6. Spend time with your friends
  7. Catch up on THE most dramatic television series (I’m looking at you Grey’s Anatomy) 
  8. Play a game
  9. Play with your pets
  10. Sleep
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