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Work and other responsibilities can sometimes serve as significant stressors in a person’s life and even result in one’s well-being taking a backseat to the obligations for which he or she is responsible. In fact, Asana’s 2023 Anatomy of Work Global Index reported that 40 percent of all workers believe that burnout is an inevitable part of success.

However, not prioritizing one’s mental health can cause an individual to struggle more at work and result in low team or company morale, miscommunication, and an increase in mistakes. Dallas-area resident Lyndsey Kohn said she thinks it’s important to take a mental health day every once in a while, though the frequency of when she does so depends on the season she’s in at the time.

“I like to look at my month and see what my schedule is looking like and see opportunities when I know I am going to need to recharge,” she said.

Taking care of one’s mental health can help an individual be more productive and efficient at work and focus on tasks without becoming as distracted by his or her emotions, which is especially helpful in high-pressure situations. Just as people often miss work for physical health reasons, doing so for mental health is just as important.

“I try to take one day a month off to do something I enjoy and/or just reset my mind or clean up around the house,” Dallas resident Eric Napple said. “I encourage my team who works for me, my friends, and myself to take ‘me time’ to stay in a good mental place and have a refreshed mindset.”

But as Dallas resident and licensed psychologist Kenleigh McMinn pointed out, taking a day off from work shouldn’t be the only time one focuses on his or her mental health.

“Generally speaking, I’m all in favor of taking a mental health day when it’s needed,” she said. “However, I think there’s more nuance to it than that. Ideally, caring for our mental health is something we should incorporate into every day, rather than letting things pile up to a point that we feel too overwhelmed and have to take a day that’s dedicated to recovering. The idea that prevention is the best medicine applies to our mental health just as much as our physical health.”

Taking a day away from work doesn’t necessarily look the same for everyone. For Kohn, a true mental health day involves no schedule or obligations. 

“I fill it with the things that fill my cup back up—long walks or runs outside; solo coffee dates reading; or hanging out with my dog, Basil,” she said. “My favorite days are when I can do a nice long run, walk, hike, bike ride, or climbing session outside with no music and just my thoughts. I love the ability to go inward and sit with silence and your mind—I feel so restored.”

For McMinn, a mental health day is about seeking better balance. While she usually prioritizes rest on days off, she recognizes that lying in bed all day could lead to more fatigue or feelings of guilt for not completing tasks on her to-do list.

“I try to find a happy medium of maybe sleeping in, then getting up and running an errand or going for a walk, then maybe take a nap later if it feels like I need it,” she said. “I also try to build in things that are purely for enjoyment rather than being productive—like reading a book, getting a coffee, or maybe shopping a bit.”

Napple said his mental health days can include a number of things, such as spending time in nature by himself or with friends, venturing to different places, spending time with family, or simply getting caught up on household tasks. Regardless of what they include, he said he believes such days are necessary to a healthy lifestyle.

“Your thoughts are a reflection of the energy you put off,” he said. “If your mind is not fresh, a person will show that in everything they do, and people will recognize it. If you are not good, say you are not good, and take some time to reconnect. Take the me time.”

While your idea of a mental health day might not be the same as someone else’s, it’s important to recognize what works for you. Kohn said discovering how you prioritize your mental health and recharge can help you know who you are and cultivate a strong sense of self-awareness and understanding of your own boundaries.

“We give and take energy throughout our days, so if you are operating from a depleted state, you are going to need more time to recover,” she said. “What you don’t want is not to recognize that you need a break and push yourself too much to where you become burnt out and maybe need a significant amount of time off to recover. I know I am in a season right now in which I have had to be more mindful of where my energy and focus are, and so I’ve had to pivot and change what filling my cup up looks like.”

Taking mental health days from work or obligations at home is not always feasible for everyone, though. McMinn said that’s another reason it’s essential to have some form of self-care built into one’s regular routine for prevention and maintenance.

“It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant, and it also shouldn’t be something that just feels like extra tasks on a to-do list,” she said. “Find small things throughout your day that you enjoy and that are just for you. Blast your favorite song in the car, use a yummy scented body wash in the shower, make comfort food you enjoy, cuddle your pet, watch a funny show, find a fun fitness class—it can be anything, as long as it’s with the intention of taking care of yourself.”

The United States generates the highest annual revenue in the candles market segment, recording $2.2 billion in most recent data.

Next Monday, April 8, millions of individuals throughout the nation will have the opportunity to witness a total solar eclipse (when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the sun), which will have a duration of totality of up to 4 minutes and 27 seconds. This is almost double the amount of time of the last total solar eclipse in 2017, which was observed by roughly 20 million people from Oregon to South Carolina.

Next week’s eclipse will begin in Texas at 1:27 p.m. Central and conclude in Maine at 3:35 p.m. Eastern. Dallas resident Craig Borkenhagen said he is certainly interested in stepping outside to see the rare occurrence.

“I’ve always thought this kind of stuff was pretty cool, and I like how eclipses change our environment—light quality, shadows on the ground, etc.,” he said.

He’s not alone in his fascination. Atlanta-area resident Allen Hamilton said he and his brother traveled to see the last total eclipse in 2017, and it was a memory he won’t soon forget.

“I didn’t realize how amazing it was going to be,” he said. “Aside from watching my kids being born, it was the most insanely amazing thing I’ve ever witnessed.”

Like Hamilton, not everyone is in what’s known as the path of totality, which is the area where a full eclipse can be viewed. So he and his brother are once again traveling to see the eclipse, this time flying to Dallas and then driving to Waco with their two oldest sons. To him, driving that extra distance is crucial for a better viewing opportunity.

“The difference between watching a 99.99-percent eclipse and a 100-percent eclipse is like the difference between driving 100 miles to watch your favorite band and listening from the parking lot vs. having front-row seats,” he said. “You won’t believe it.”

Borkenhagen also has memories of the 2017 eclipse, though he was living in New Haven, Connecticut, at the time. He said he and his coworkers made makeshift viewing lenses from cardboard boxes. Though he also witnessed an annular solar eclipse last October, he knows that next week’s opportunity is one he wants to take advantage of because of its rarity.

“For both of [the previous ones I saw], I remember the shadows were all crescent-shaped, which was cool,” he said. “This upcoming one is a big deal because it’s a total eclipse. The next one won’t happen here for another 20 years, and Dallas is in the path of totality, so we’ll get the full effect.”

Not all individuals have an interest in viewing the spectacle, though. Dallas resident Katie Butler said she will not go outside to see it, not only because she is in back-to-back meetings at work that day but also because she was not impressed with the eclipse she witnessed in 2017.

“I was underwhelmed,” she said. “It was cool in theory, but I try not to think about space too much because it freaks me out. And honestly, my work has been so busy recently that I don’t have the mental capacity to carve out time to stare at the sky.”

And she doesn’t understand why others would, either, or why there has been so much coverage pertaining to next Monday’s event.

“Maybe it’s to bring people together, but I genuinely have no idea,” Butler said. “Truly, I’m surprised people are so hyped.”

Additional information regarding the upcoming total solar eclipse, including a map of its path of totality, can be found on the NASA website. NASA also provides important reminders regarding how to protect your eyes when viewing the eclipse.

WEEKLY PHOTO OP

A NatNews staff member + some dear readers enjoyed a trip to New Orleans for the Crescent City Classic

Monday, April 1: Queen of the Night — A Tribute to Whitney Houston at Majestic Theatre Dallas
Tuesday, April 2: Free Rooftop Movie — Scott Pilgrim vs. the World at Sundown at Granada
Wednesday, April 3: Stars vs. Oilers at the American Airlines Center
Thursday, April 4: Cool Thursdays Concert Series — Emerald City Band at the Dallas Arboretum; Celebration White Rock 5K and 10K at Winfrey Point; Bob Dylan at Music Hall at Fair Park
Friday, April 5: Mavs vs. Golden State at the American Airlines Center; Emo Night Brooklyn at Sundown at Granada; Deep Ellum Community Arts Fair (also Saturday + Sunday)
Saturday, April 6: WRRC Saturday run from Taco Joint; National Beer Day Celebration at Community Beer Co. (also on Sunday); Spring Fling at Sons of Hermann Hall
Sunday, April 7: Rangers vs. Astros at Globe Life Field; Candlelight — A Tribute to Pink Floyd at Virgin Hotels Dallas; Kristin Chenoweth at Winspear Opera House