Stephen Viscusi Mental Sick Days CBS 2 News at 6 WCBS CBS New York 07 11 17 6 630 PM

Is It Okay to Take a Mental Health Day? Yes — But Here's How to Do It Right

Let's be honest. We've all had those mornings where the alarm goes off and everything in your body says: not today. You're not running a fever. You don't have the flu. But you are completely, utterly drained — mentally, emotionally, maybe both.
So the question becomes: is it okay to call in sick when the sickness isn't physical?
The short answer is yes. The longer answer is yes — but be smart about it.
Mental health is health. That's not just a slogan on a poster in your HR department's breakroom. It's the reality of the modern workplace. Anxiety, burnout, depression, stress from a difficult boss, a toxic team dynamic, personal issues bleeding into your professional life — these are real things that affect your ability to do your job. And sometimes the most productive thing you can do for your career is step away for a day and reset.
I've been in the recruiting business for over three decades, and I can tell you that the employees who burn out are not the ones who occasionally take a day to recharge. The ones who burn out are the ones who never do. They push through every bad day, every sleepless night, every personal crisis, until one day they snap — and then they're not taking a mental health day, they're quitting. Or worse, they're getting fired because their performance fell off a cliff and nobody saw it coming.
Taking a mental health day doesn't make you weak. It makes you self-aware. And self-awareness is one of the most valuable traits you can have in the workplace.
But here's where I'll give you some real talk.
You don't owe your employer a detailed explanation of your mental state. If you need a day, take a sick day. You're allowed. You don't need to say "I'm having a mental health crisis." You can simply say you're not feeling well and you need the day. That is enough. In most workplaces, that is all that's required, and frankly, it's all that's appropriate.
Where people get into trouble is when they make it a habit. One mental health day every few months? That's healthy. Calling out every Monday because you dread the week ahead? That's a sign of a bigger problem — and the problem might be your job, your boss, or your environment. If you need a mental health day every week, you don't need a day off. You need a new job. And that's where I come in.
Here's my advice for doing it right:
Don't overexplain. Keep it simple. "I'm not feeling well and need to take a sick day." Done. You don't need to justify yourself or provide a diagnosis.
Don't post about it on social media. Nothing undermines a sick day faster than your boss seeing you at brunch on Instagram. If you take the day, use it to genuinely rest and recover — not to broadcast your day off to the world.
Don't feel guilty. Guilt is the enemy of recovery. If you spend your entire mental health day worrying about what your coworkers think, you've defeated the purpose. Disconnect. Rest. Come back stronger tomorrow.
Do use the day wisely. Sleep in. Go for a walk. See a therapist if that's what you need. Spend time with someone who makes you feel good. Do whatever it takes to come back the next day in a better headspace than you were in this morning.
Do recognize when one day isn't enough. If you're consistently struggling, talk to someone. A therapist, a doctor, a trusted friend. Mental health is not something you can fix with the occasional day off if the underlying issue is serious. Take care of yourself — really take care of yourself.
The workplace has changed. Companies are more open to conversations about mental health than they were even five years ago. Many offer Employee Assistance Programs, flexible schedules, and wellness resources. Use them. That's what they're there for.
At the end of the day, your career is a marathon, not a sprint. The people who last — the ones who build long, successful careers — are the ones who know when to push through and when to pull back. Taking a mental health day isn't quitting. It's strategy.
So if you need the day, take the day. Just be smart about it. And if you find yourself needing that day more often than not, it might be time to take an honest look at whether you're in the right job, at the right company, working for the right people.
That's a conversation I'm always happy to have.