How to Ask Your Boss for a Mental Health Day Off

You may be able to use vacation time, personal time, or paid sick leave for a mental health day, depending on your employer’s policy and the laws where you work; some state and local sick-leave laws cover mental health needs. A day to rest after a stressful week is not automatically protected leave, so review your handbook or ask your employer’s HR team how to request the appropriate time off.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) may provide eligible employees with unpaid, job-protected leave for a serious health condition, including a qualifying mental health condition, but eligibility and other requirements apply. If a mental health condition qualifies as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), time off may also be a reasonable accommodation in some circumstances, although an employer does not have to provide an accommodation that creates undue hardship.

Follow your workplace’s usual call-out or leave-request process, give as much notice as you reasonably can, and specify the date you need off and the type of leave you want to use. For example, you might say, “I need to use a sick day tomorrow for a health matter; please let me know if you need anything else from me.”

You generally do not need to share a diagnosis with your boss for a routine request, though your employer may request documentation when permitted by law. If you need FMLA leave or an accommodation, contact HR about the process and what medical information may be required rather than sending personal details to your entire team.

Once your time off is arranged, consider what would feel restorative for you, whether that means sleeping, attending an appointment, or taking a gentle walk; our article on gentle outdoor movement and mental well-being offers a place to start. If you want a resource centered on that topic, our Move Where Your Mind Can Breathe – Nature Workouts for Mental Health eBook is an outdoor movement guide for stress relief and mental fitness.

Check the product’s listed specifications when evaluating make a plan for your day.