Episode 893 Taking Time for Mental Health
[00:00:00] Scott Maderer: [00:00:00] Thanks for joining me on episode 893 of the inspired stewardship podcast.
[00:00:07] Scott Brookens: [00:00:07] I'm Scott Brookens from Scott brookings.com. I encourage you to find the way to be inspired to start your dream business and find freedom. And one way to do that is to be inspired by this the inspired stewardship podcast with my friend Scott Maderer.
[00:00:25] Scott Maderer: [00:00:25] mindful of actually taking some time away from all of the noise and the input. Turn off the TV. Don't binge Netflix. Don't watch the news. But actually take some time away, maybe if you've had a hobby or an interest that you've been putting off and not spending time with, take some time to do that.
[00:00:47] Welcome. And thank you for joining us on the inspired stewardship podcast. If you truly desire to become the person who God wants you to be, then you must learn to use your time, your talent and your [00:01:00] treasures for your true calling in the inspired stewardship podcast. We'll learn to invest in yourself, invest in others and develop your influence so that you can impact the world.
[00:01:13]In today's episode about impacting the world by stewarding your time. I talk with you about taking a mental health day. I also share some ways you can recognize that you might just need one. And I also talk about some ways you can actually spend your mental health day to recover. As we talk about stewarding your time.
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[00:02:02] A mental health day. I've used that expression over the years that I've heard people talk about taking a mental health day, but after the last year and a half, Of COVID and quarantine and politics and all of the other things, I think in a very well real way, that's term resonates to me in a way that maybe it never has before that the truth is that I think one thing that may come out of all of this, when everyone talks about returning to normal.
[00:02:34] I don't know that I want to return to what it used to be and call that normal. Instead, I hope that out of this, we will recognize the need to prioritize mental health, to prioritize self care, to begin to move mental health out of a state of stigma and into a state of normality. And recognize that people do need [00:03:00] to take a pause from time to time, to take some time out, to spend some effective time away so that they can recharge their batteries.
[00:03:13] So the truth is how do you know. If it's time to take a mental health day, how do you recognize that you might need to take a day off of work to take a day off your other responsibilities and to give in to some self-care? And the first thing is to recognize that, There are signs that come about.
[00:03:35] Are you feeling increased stress? Are you feeling a sense of overwhelm? Are you're beginning to feel like your daily functioning, including work school, sleep responsibilities, relationships with others are beginning to be impaired. You begin to get irritable. You begin to get frustrated. You begin to get.
[00:03:58] Other [00:04:00] activities that make you feel depression, fatigue, and just a disruption of your ability to live your daily life. Do you begin to feel disconnected from others, disconnected from your work or a lack of passion and energy about those things, including even interest in hobbies and things that previously brought you joy?
[00:04:22] If you begin to see these sorts of mental activities going on in your brain, it is time to take some time for self care. It is time to step back and take a break because the truth is there are all sorts of benefits of taking a few days for mental health, including less stress, less anxiety, and feeling more connected to others and to your work.
[00:04:51]What are some of the things you can do that are actually effective? So often I see folks that take a mental health day or take [00:05:00] vacation, but then actually check email the entire time. That's not healthy that doesn't work instead, actually unplug, get outside, get away from the indoors and out into nature.
[00:05:15] Spend some time in the sunlight, spend some time with the air, spend some time walking or spending time in the beauty of nature. And as part of that, make sure you actually unplug that means take your phone and turn it off. Take your email notifications, take your Facebook notifications, turn those things off so that they no longer interrupt your mind.
[00:05:41] Or your brain or your attention being mindful of actually taking some time away from all of the noise and the input turn off the TV. Don't binge Netflix. Don't watch the news, but actually take some time [00:06:00] away. Maybe if you've had a hobby or an interest that you've been putting off and not spending time with take some time to do that.
[00:06:07] Paint. Do other activities play a game with others and then find some time to do meditation or yoga or other things that help recharge your mental state as well. The truth is that all of us need time for self-care. But instead of taking it, we often feel like we cannot, because if we take that time, then we'll come back more stressed than we were before.
[00:06:38] Because now all of a sudden we have to catch up on that work. We have to get more done than we would have before, because now we're behind. But the truth is if you don't take that time, she'll end up doing is working longer hours and actually getting even further behind and even [00:07:00] more stressed, more strained, more disconnected, more exhausted.
[00:07:06] It's funny, but I often hear people talk about, I took vacation and now I need a vacation to recover from my vacation. The funny thing is often that means that you really haven't set yourself up for success in the first place, because you were burned out before you left. You didn't take that mental time early enough.
[00:07:25] You managed to get behind on things that now you have to catch up on. And this is something that happens all the time. And so if you're feeling those feelings, if you're feeling that stress, if you're feeling that disconnection, if you're feeling burned out, give yourself a break, take some time before it gets so bad that it gets even worse so that you can recharge your batteries, relax your soul.
[00:07:54] And re-engage your passion. Thanks for listening.
[00:07:58]thanks so [00:08:00] much for listening to the inspired stewardship podcast as a subscriber and listener, we challenge you to not just sit back and passively listen, but act on what you've heard and find a way to live your calling. If you liked this episode on the stewardship of time, be sure to sign up for our stewardship of time tips series by going to inspired stewardship.com/time or texting for 4, 2, 2, 2 time tips, and that'll get you our best tips.
[00:08:38] Okay. On stewarding your time until next time. Invest your time. Your talent and your treasures develop your influence and impact the world. .