Take a mental health day to feel better
Q: I’m think about playing hooky from work because the stress levels have been unbearable lately. But are there really any significant benefits from taking an occasional mental health day, or would I just be wasting my time? A: According to Dr. Michael Crabtree, a professor of psychology at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, who is also a licensed clinical psychologist for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, human beings are designed to experience stress – as long as it’s kept in moderation.
“There’s nothing unhealthy about intermittent stress,” says Dr. Crabtree, who is also a certified biofeedback and stress management therapist. “The health problems occur when stress becomes chronic and unrelenting.”
Crabtree concurs with mental health experts who recommend people take an occasional mental health day.
“People need an interruption of stress response by taking some time out,” he says. “If you would clock your level of stress all day long, you would find that it mounts throughout the day – and over time. One of the therapies is taking a ‘time out’ to end the continual pattern of stress.
“Taking a day off does that (takes a time out). Not only does the time out help to de-stress you, research also shows that the idea of thinking you could take time out can also de-stress you. The idea of having flexibility in your daily schedule, or personal days, gives you some perceived control of the situation. If you think you can take five to 10 minutes per day, that makes a big difference – rather than feeling like you have to stay continually working. Some people don’t give themselves that provision and they burn themselves out. I personally love the day off idea.”
(Send your questions to Steve Infanti, A Fit Life Column, 801e BAB, University Park, PA 16802 or via e-mail to SCInfanti(at)compuserve.com.)
SHNS