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Mental health is something you need to work on every day.
A lot of people struggle to think positively, regardless of their situation.
Social media, external stressors, and internal feelings also make a cocktail of negativity that can be intoxicating and hard to escape.
The World Health Organization estimates that there are around 280 million people in the world that have depression.
On top of that, a 2023 survey revealed that the average person has up to 11 negative thoughts a day.
So, how can one break that cycle and inject some more positivity into their mindset?
A restorative mental health day can go a long way in helping you think positively again, and there are a few reasons this can be a viable solution worth looking into.
5 Benefits of a Mental Health Day
1. It Allows You to Decompress
One of the most important things a mental health day can do for you is to disconnect you from the stressors that can trigger your mind.
You can completely go offline and stay away from social media, work, and other aspects that contribute to mental clutter and overwhelming thoughts.
Zocdoc recommends that you turn off notifications when taking a mental health day so that you can really enjoy having the entire day to yourself.
This allows you to decompress, figure out how you actually want to spend your time, and let go of some of the tension that may be overpowering your mental landscape.
Your mental health day is a day that you can dedicate solely to your interests and allow yourself to bask in more positive activities and environments.
2. You Can Take Time to Reflect
With a day that is free of other distractions, you can take time to practice mindfulness.
This will allow you to regulate your emotions and focus solely on the present.
Too often, people lose their positivity because they are too bothered by worries about the future or mistakes from the past.
When you reflect and be mindful, you can have more awareness of your own needs and what positive aspects you can focus on.
This also helps you be more compassionate to yourself, as mindfulness is all about acceptance and letting go of self-judgment that can get in the way of a good mindset.
As we’ve mentioned in our article on Actionable Mindfulness Tips For Beginners, it’s not complicated to start practicing this.
First, you must make an effort to separate your identity from your self-worth. Negativity in your life doesn’t mean you have to be a negative person.
Then, consider practicing meditation to help yourself be more in tune with your body and your surroundings.
Be patient with yourself, and know that one day isn’t going to result in a complete change.
It’s all about giving yourself time to recenter and then carrying good habits to face daily challenges.
3. You Can Make Space to Cultivate Gratitude and Good Habits
Now is the time to remind yourself of the positive aspects of your life and start cultivating a sense of gratitude and joy.
This should be easier if you start good habits like saying words of affirmation every day, cleaning up your surroundings so you don’t get overwhelmed, and getting enough sleep so that you can feel less heavy and irritable.
When you “clean up” external factors, it’s easier to go internal.
If you’re wondering How to be Happy with What You Have, it’s good to start by asking yourself why you want more from life.
This is the foundation where you start rebuilding your narrative.
It may not seem like an active solution, but reframing your perception of yourself can do wonders in maintaining positivity.
Instead of, say, thinking that you’ll never be happy until you hit a certain milestone, you need to normalize joy in the things you’ve already done.
4. You Can Take Time to Seek Support
Although a mental health day is also a good way to get some alone time, you may also want to use this day to surround yourself with people that make you happy.
You can seek support in many ways, be it from a professional session or simply by talking it out with your family and friends.
Reach out and connect and you may find the support you need to get back to a more positive frame.
According to Mental Health First Aid, people who have a good social support system are more likely to have less stress than those without one.
You don’t have to go it alone on the road to positivity.
5. It Lets You Dedicate a Day to Self-Care
Often, a negative mindset comes from a lack of self-care.
Thankfully, a great mental health day can give you the time and space to attend to your own wants and needs.
You can book yourself a spa day or a nature hike, but you can even achieve this with a few simple acts of kindness for yourself.
You can take a soothing bath, do some meditation, spend time doing a hobby you haven’t done in a while, and simply relax.
Even a simple move like getting a treat for yourself is one of the most Amazing Relaxation Techniques You Must Try to calm your mind.
What makes a day like this so restorative is that you get to do what makes you happy.
Jon Dulin is the passionate leader of Unfinished Success, a personal development website that inspires people to take control of their own lives and reach their full potential. His commitment to helping others achieve greatness shines through in everything he does. He’s an unstoppable force with lots of wisdom, creativity, and enthusiasm – all focused on helping others build a better future. Jon enjoys writing articles about productivity, goal setting, self-development, and mindset. He also uses quotes and affirmations to help motivate and inspire himself. You can learn more about him on his About page.