It is acceptable practice for individuals to stay home and recover if they are ill. We can only hope that is the practice, rather than having employees feel they must be in the office or bear the comments of ‘always taking sick days.’ But, like vacation days, sick days fill a purpose, and if organizations are not planning that their people will be using those days, that is, in many ways, lousy planning and, inadvertently, a poor culture.
We inevitably all experience periods where we feel overwhelmed, and our mind is congested with multiple thoughts, many of which may appear negative or convoluted. As a result, you may not be able to make it to the weekend to recuperate. However, if you don’t shut down, you will likely be ineffective, unproductive, and possibly even physically ill.
It’s essential to notice this within yourself and act on it before it affects your work and your personal life. And that of your co-workers too. Not feeling mentally fit is reasonable and human too.
