Published On: March 17, 2025Categories: Blog, Uncategorized651 words2.5 min read

What to Do When You Can’t Take a Mental Health Day

March 17, 2025

It was a Friday. I was exhausted from the week and my daughter woke up ready for the day at 4. Luckily my husband took over at 6, but I crashed hard, missing our morning plans. Which made me feel depressed. And then I still had to be a mom.

It’s been a struggle as a new parent to not be able to take a mental health day. A day off. A day to attend to only my needs. But my daughter comes first, so I had to push through.

My husband and I got into a fight. Because when I get depressed, I am not nice. And I was feeling disappointed that I’d missed my daughter’s playdate. Making me feel like a bad mom.

After my husband left for work, I knew I needed to do something with my daughter—that it would be healthy to get us both out of the house—so I asked my sister if my daughter and I could come over. She has young children, so I thought it would be good for my daughter too. Playdate rescued.

After doing something, I felt better, and it made me reflect on how much my mental health still matters. Arguably, even more now that I have a child, so that I am well for her too. So that I don’t get depressed for days. So that I don’t have too many lows.

It was a good reminder to try to be flexible and to have backup plans if things don’t go as planned. That way, when I’m having a tough day, there are things in place. And even though I can’t take a mental health day, I can be present with my daughter and allow myself to feel joy.

So if you find you can’t take a mental health day, here are some things you can do:

Plan as much as you can. Figure out what you’ll do in advance so you can be prepared. Visualize your days going well.
Have backup plans. As we all know, life has its own set of plans, so be prepared to be flexible and go with the flow. As someone who doesn’t do this well, I know it can be difficult, but I try to ride the wave when possible, still allowing myself to find moments of joy.
Move. Movement is the quickest way to reregulate your nervous system, and it’s easy to do if you have kids. Go for a walk whenever you can. Take the long way. Find ways to move your body constantly throughout the day.
Breathe. Whenever you can, take deep breaths. Close your eyes. Breathe all the way in through your nose until your breath reaches the top of your head and then push your breath through all the way to the tips of your toes. Focus your thoughts on releasing tension from your body. Repeat three times. Then open your eyes.
Drink water. Staying hydrated helps everything function as it should. I fill my water bottle every morning to ensure I always have some handy.
Connect to nature. I like to go for walks outside. Take my daughter to the park. Reconnect with nature and smell fresh air.
Do self-checkins. For me, this typically happens when she naps. I make sure that, even among the things I try to accomplish while she’s sleeping, I take a minute to breathe and to see how I’m feeling. Sometimes I journal. Sometimes I meditate. But even if I only have a few minutes, I breathe and reboot.