Knowing your limits and making your mental health a priority can be tricky when you’re worried about your job but need time off. The truth is that by knowing when to take time off from work to address personal issues, you’ll put yourself in the position to avoid burnout and be more productive. However, not every company offers a culture that allows employees to decide when they need a break without serious consequences. Finding balance or even changing jobs for a good fit for your own needs may mean some consideration, changes, and work. For things to consider when deciding to take time off from work, read on.
Assessing Your Corporate Climate
The first thing to do when assessing whether or not you can safely take time off from work for a specific issue that’s personal to you is to think about your company’s culture. The Verkada culture, for example, means that Verkada employees are encouraged to take care of their physical and mental well-being above productivity. But not all companies are the same. For other companies, productivity and the bottom line mean more than employee health and happiness.
One of the few silver linings to the global pandemic has been a shift in the ways employers and employees alike view workplace culture. Now, more than ever, companies are taking a closer look at corporate culture to bring in wellness programs and find new ways to help employees retain their jobs and have better job satisfaction. If you’re lucky enough to work for a company with these kinds of patterns, it might be worth talking to your boss about your needs even if it’s a little nerve-wracking.
Looking at Options
Maybe you’re having issues with your spouse, are on the brink of divorce, and need a counseling session or small group retreat to get your marriage back on track. Perhaps one of you has broken vows and the other feels betrayed. A Google search like “couples therapy retreat near me” could be a great place to start when it comes to repairing your personal issues.
If you can’t be honest with your boss about your need to see a family therapist or what’s going on at home, it might be a good idea to take vacation time to use for that retreat. Even a 3-day retreat might be helpful in finding forgiveness and rekindling affection between you and your partner, and your employer will only be minimally impacted.
Putting Self-Care First
Whether you decide to be honest with your supervisor or not, self-care is extremely important for mental wellness. You need to be focused to do your job well. For some people, finding a balance between time off for personal issues and putting on a mask at work is enough. For others, it could be time to weigh the pros and cons of keeping your job at all. More than one person has had a hard time at home, quit their job, and found another one later when things were calmer.
Regardless of how you decide to handle your home and work balance, engaging in group self-care activities that you enjoy on a regular basis with people you care about is a good way to have a better quality of life overall. While tough decisions might be on the horizon, do what you can to live in the moment.
At the end of the day, you know yourself and your job better than anyone. Being honest with yourself about your needs and wants is a great start and a big step toward finding that balance between honoring your mental wellness and getting the job done. When in doubt, be honest with your employer about your experience, and you might be surprised how willing they are to back you up.
