2022 World Mental Health Day: Prioritizing Your Self-Care

By Steven Campa

2 min read

My mental health is very important to me. October 10th is World Mental Health Day, and it made me start to ask myself a few questions. Have I been taking care of my mental state? Am I allowing my team to focus on their mental health? Am I giving my team the resources and time that they need?

Throughout our lives, we all go through situations that can scare us, make us nervous, or give us anxiety. Many of these things can take a toll on our overall health - physically, mentally, and emotionally.

At least for myself, my mental health is what usually suffers the most. I feel that many people in my community are scared to deal with their mental health and usually put it on the back burner.

World Mental Health Day is a day to raise awareness of mental health issues worldwide and support all mental health efforts. This day includes mental health awareness, advocacy against stigma, and education.

Putting my mental health first

I honestly feel that I have been putting my mental health first, especially lately, because I have been taking well-deserved time off work. I take vacations from time to time, but usually for a long weekend, with a Friday or a Monday.

I started feeling like work was all I was doing and that I was constantly at the office. I work 9-hour shifts, Monday through Friday, but 11 hours total a day if you count in my commute time. I realized that I was almost maxed out on vacation time, so I decided to take a nearly 2-week vacation.

I am extremely excited to take this vacation, be in different scenery, and turn off work emails and notifications.

World Mental Health Day

When I realized that World Mental Health Day was approaching, I started researching ways to help my team prioritize their mental health. One major thing was to allow my team to take time off work or not feel bad for taking personal or sick days.

I know there have been times when I would need to take a day off sick, and my supervisor would let me, but it also sometimes makes me feel like I should not be doing it. I wanted to ensure that my team is comfortable enough to let me know when they need to use a sick or personal day to tend to their mental health.

We accrue vacation and sick pay to be used whenever necessary, and making someone feel guilty for using time awarded to them should never be the case.

Self-care for you and your network

I also thought it was a great idea to encourage my team to take a self-care day.

This self-care day can consist of things like meditation, taking a walk in the park, or a day doing absolutely nothing. Self-care is how you want to care for yourself, which will look different for everyone.

All that matters is you are working towards a better mindset and mental state.

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Heather Renee Moderator & Contributor
<inline-mention username="Steven Campa" user-id="2048109"/> This is such a great article. I think many people find themselves in situations where they feel guilty for using their time off. In some cases, the company they work for makes them feel this way. But it is important to take time off from work, regardless of what you plan to do that day. Burnout is a real thing. I am glad that you are not only focused on your own mental health but also the mental health of your team. Not all bosses worry about how their employees are doing health-wise, much less mentally. Thank you for being such a good human being!! - Heather R (team member)
Khafre Kujichagulia Abif Moderator
Alafia (Peace) Steven Campa You really make me think about my own mental well-being. I take my mental health meds and speak with a therapist and psychiatrist but it has become routine. Taking steps to really care for myself is what I need to be doing. Thank you for this article. Khafre (H-I-V.net Team Member)
Khafre Kujichagulia Abif Moderator
Alafia (Peace( <inline-mention username="Steven Campa" user-id="2048109"/> I don't know where I would be without the support I receive for my mental well-being. Khafre (H-I-V.net Team Member)
Khafre Kujichagulia Abif Moderator
Alafia (Peace) <inline-mention username="Steven Campa" user-id="2048109"/> I am finding it difficult to practice self care while I am feeling lonely and experiencing a depressive episode. Khafre (H-I-V.net Team Member)
1. Steven Campa Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="Khafre Kujichagulia Abif" user-id="2046187"/> I totally understand. There have been moments in time when I have felt the same. What helps me is having conversations on forums like this. 
2. Khafre Kujichagulia Abif Moderator
 <inline-mention username="Steven Campa" user-id="2048109"/> Alafia (Peace) Thank you so much for reaching out to me. I really appreciate you Steven. Khafre (H-I-V.net Team Member)