When someone has the flu, they call out of work. While on the other hand, if they have sore throat they might decide to suck it up and go in. The same goes for mental health, yet it fails to receive the same respect as physical health. Some days those affected by mental health can cope and others they cannot. Mental health days are the same as sick days.

Those that suffer with mental health often have the words “get over it” hurled at them daily. Issues such as depression and anxiety are not something that an individual can just “get over.”

When attempting to manage mental health while juggling workplace responsibilities is a struggle that many people experience, but hardly anyone talks about. This is because mental health is stigmatized. This is way so many people suffer without treatment. The stigma behind it causes some to hesitate to admit they need help and why many fail to reach out for that help. They are held back by their fear of how others around them will react.

When mental health is not appropriately treated those affected may not be able to function. They cannot focus or even complete simple tasks. Their minds are somewhere else and it affects work performance. Instead of doing work, they are handling stress, negative thoughts and emotions.

Taking a mental health day is more than okay. In some cases it is necessary. If you are anything like me you are always putting yourself last. People are counting on you and there’s always something you have to do. I hardly take days for myself, even when I know I need to. The few that I take are on days it is convenient for the people around me, convenient for my job, and convenient for school. Recently I have realized that nothing is more important than my mental health. I can retake a test, I can reschedule lunch with my friends, and my workplace will function just fine without me. Taking mental health days are sometimes essential to helping me cope and no one can tell me it is not okay.