Be kind to yourself.
I took a mental health day yesterday. An honest to goodness mental health day. And truly, felt super selfish for it.
Selfish because I scream mental health awareness from the rooftops, but I still don’t feel like using it as an excuse to take a day off is acceptable. Selfish because I’ve pushed myself through much harder mornings, just to show up on time. Selfish because the mindset that “someone has it worse” exists and has been shoved in my face before. Selfish because it’s normal to call them sick days but not yet normal to set aside, true mental health days in most company policies.
But I needed it.
Last year, besides the pandemic and all the worries that held, I was facing hard battles and unexpected triumphs of my own. Through all highs and lows, I was able to hold myself steady in 2020 knowing I’d have a therapy session (a dose of medicine, if you will) once every other week. But at the end of 2020, we cut my sessions to once a month.
Something I was ready for. Something I worked my way up to. Something that is a small victory when navigating your mental health fully, with intention. But simply put, a lot has happened since I was last able to talk to my therapist (not all “bad”) but all things I have become accustomed to discussing and dissecting with a professional.
Now, to keep things straight for us all, I really am fine. I have always had, and still have, an inhuman ability to bounce back. My parents will see this post on their own so you don’t have to run to them worried about my well-being. I haven’t been diagnosed with anything. I’m not suicidal. You don’t have to worry about me, I simply needed a reset. And all of that, for me or for you, is totally fucking normal.
And while I fought with myself for taking a day off...just one day after a weekend, I took it. I fought with myself for “allowing” laziness, but I accepted it. I went about my known rituals that always help me, and eventually that evening, they paid off and I returned to work today.
Your mental health is so important. Never feel selfish for needing time to get back to you. We’re all dealing with so much and it is offensive to assume otherwise.
Be kind to yourself. Always.🖤
