We’ve all been there; the tempting allure of the snooze button, just one innocent click away from escaping a demanding day of deadlines and ‘could have been an email’ meetings.
You fumble for the phone, but as you start to dial the office, you’re overwhelmed by guilt as you picture your hard working team, suffering at the hands of your absence.
Yep, we’ve all been there.
So when is ok to pull a ‘sickie?’
With more than three million of us currently living with depression or anxiety in Australia, it is unsurprising that nearly a third of the GP issued sick notes amounting on our bosses desks are for psychiatric problems, as revealed in a recent report by the NHS.
While some bosses applaud their employees for being open and honest about mental health days, taking a sick day for mental health is still not a standard practice across many work places.
But they should be. Feeling overwhelmed and burdened by the strains of the office can often indicate that you’re not performing at your best. Taking a mental health day can often improve your productivity when you return to work, as well as fighting mental health stigma in the work place.
If in doubt about staying home, listen to your body and be open with your colleagues. An open conversation in the workplace creates a healthy environment for sufferers of mental health issues.
The 14th of September marks the annual suicide awareness initiative “R U OK” day, which is an important time to check in with family, friends, and colleagues, to help connect and help out anyone who might be struggling. So use this month as an opportunity to open the conversation and re-evaluate the next time you feel like ‘chucking a sickie.’
Related: Why We’re Applauding This Woman For Taking A Mental Health Day
Related: Why Taking A Mental Health Day From Work Is Actually A Brilliant Idea
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