Five signs you might need to take a duvet day
Author: Jonathan Warren
Feeling stressed, exhausted or simply need a day off to refresh and recuperate? A duvet day could be just the answer you’re looking for.
Duvet days give employers a chance to give back to their staff and provide a productive workplace ethic. And for employees, it’s a chance to rest and recover when they might need it the most.
Our latest study of over 1,000 UK adults revealed that over a third (34%) of people think duvet days are a good idea, and 36% believe they help with stress and anxiety.
Take a look at our five signs that might mean you need to take a duvet day, sooner rather than later…
You need to take some time to rest
Taking the time to rest is so important for a healthy, happy and balanced lifestyle. Sometimes it’s all too easy to burn the candle at both ends, so it’s vital that we listen to our bodies and rest where possible.
Rohan Gunatillake, director at Mindfulness Everywhere and Creator of Buddhify said: “We live in a time where the ability to rest well has never been more necessary. Not only does having a rested body help us be more productive and energetic, with so many demands on our time and our attention, a rested mind means that we can be more responsive to what life throws our way rather than just reacting.
“We are moving towards being a society where physical and mental wellbeing are considered as just as important as each other. So just as it is entirely normal and indeed expected to take time off if suffering from something like the flu, it will also soon become just as normal to do the same when dealing with mental fatigue. If initiatives like duvet days can help us get there, then that is absolutely something I can get behind.”
You’re struggling to manage your workload
You may have taken more on at work, and it’s taking time to adjust. However, your workload may be the same, but the tasks you’re doing may be slightly different and again, it’s taking longer than expected to adjust.
Perhaps taking a duvet day will help you to refocus and reaffirm what you need to do at work. Sometimes a day of reflection can make all the difference.
You’re feeling stressed and anxious
One of the main reasons that employers offer duvet days is to alleviate stress and anxiety for their staff, and to help with their overall mental wellbeing. If you’re feeling particularly stressed and have tried all your usual coping techniques, then taking a duvet day could be the next step.
In the first instance, discuss this with your employer first to consider which actions might work best for your own situation.
You will work better in a home environment
The office environment may be overpowering and you’re not performing as well as you know you can. Perhaps a day at home and the chance to work in a more convenient way, with flexible working hours, could be just what you need to get a certain project done and dusted.
You’re not feeling yourself
This might be physical or mental, but perhaps you’re feeling under the weather, but don’t particularly want to ‘pull a sickie’. A duvet day is a way to take that much needed ‘me time’, ensuring that in the long run, you’ll be more productive when you’re back in the office.