5 times you need to take a mental health break

THE sheer uncertainty of what will happen on any given day is what makes navigating the pandemic so difficult — one day things have settled enough that you’re booking a weekend away, and the next day you’re panic buying supplies in a wholesale because there’s an upcoming lockdown. The ebbs and flow, highs and lows, have meant that many people are on an emotional roller coaster, one they’ve been unable to dismount since last year.

Added to that are the demands of parenting for some, deciding their children’s futures while they themselves are unsure, and then there are job losses, job insecurity, and just the general inability to plan ahead, because nothing is sure.

What this has meant is that many of us are operating on E, just one bit of bad news away from snapping. And that’s why mental health breaks are important, so we can properly navigate all that life throws at us, before things go south.

“Sometimes what you need is to take a day, or a couple days, which will be solely dedicated to giving your psychological and emotional health some attention, and to get away from the stresses of everyday life,” counsellor David Anderson said.

“Over time, this stress can lead to major health problems if you don’t deal with it.”

Apart from taking a breather to combat COVID fatigue, what are some of the other times you need a mental health break?

Anderson says these include when:

Your mate has been unfaithful and you’re contemplating whether to stay

“Sometimes what you need is to remove yourself from the environment, and take time to reassess and re-evaluate what’s good for YOU,” Anderson said. “Don’t make any decisions unless you have done this. So book that solo weekend away, and get back to the root of what you want, and what you don’t want.”

Your teen is driving you crazy

“You may be tempted to just go the hard and fast punishment route, but this is not always the answer,” Anderson said. He encourages parents to step back, put themselves in the teens’ shoes, and compromise.

“They are humans too, and deserve to be heard, and to also make decisions about their lives,” he said. “In this instance, just taking time to move away from the situation and listen to other views will be the mental health break you need.”

You’re not sure about your job

So you’re not sure if you should quit, hope for redundancy, not turn up, or just stay there just because — but what you know is that you’re absolutely miserable at work. “What you don’t want to do is make rash decisions like quit on a whim, especially if you have financial obligations,” Anderson said. “What you need instead is a break to think, to rest and to rejuvenate. If at the end of the break you still feel like you’re choking, then it’s time to reassess your future in that organisation.”

The bills are piling up

If the bills are piling up, the collectors are calling, you feel like you’re about to lose it all, but you really can’t see a way out, the solution is not to sit at home in a pile of worry. “Take a break and critically assess your situation. Are there things you own that you can sell, trade? Is there an opportunity to condense your obligations? Worrying won’t solve your problems, but taking a break, then approaching the problems with fresh eyes, will give you perspective,” Anderson said.

You got bad news

Bad news can send you spiralling into despair, and make you feel like you’re up to your neck in problems. But this is one time, for your health’s sake, that you should seek to take it easy, Anderson said. So absorb the news, absorb the calamity, but also be very careful about how much you allow it to consume you.

“Share what you’re going through with someone if you must,” Anderson said. “But you have to heal, you have to push on, and then after taking care of yourself, you can take on the burden.”