When you live a busy lifestyle, it’s all too easy to feel guilty about staying at home and having a quiet day to yourself.
As somebody with ridiculous levels of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), I get the panic of being asked about your weekend when you’ve spent it just chilling out at home, enjoying your own company.
We are all expected to pack our precious free time with a ton of activities; socialising and proving to ourselves – and to everyone else – that we are making the absolute most out of life.
However, sometimes it’s nice to just be; taking stock of life, having a little daydream, and spending time having a good old potter around the house.
My perfect ‘at home’ day would probably begin with a generous lie in, before catching up on my favourite podcasts with a sugary cup of tea.
Then I would make myself a lovely, simple lunch – maybe some crumpets and tomato soup – before snuggling up on the sofa with some homemade biscuits and a good book.
Sadly, we only permit ourselves these cosy little bubbles of ‘me time’ when we are already under the weather; using the – often unnecessary – excuse of having a cold or feeling sad.
But why do we harbour such guilt about desiring a few hours away from the hectic world beyond the front door? And why do we have to wait until our noses and eyes are streaming before curling up and giving ourselves a bit of homespun TLC?
After all, making time to take things slow can be greatly beneficial when looking after your mental health; giving you a temporary oasis of calm in a world of constant updates and notifications. What better gift could you give yourself?
This is the thinking behind ‘National Stay Home Because You’re Well Day’ (November 30), an annual holiday which encourages people to refresh themselves outside the daily grind of the workplace.
After all, as most working grown-ups will know, the days turn into weeks and the weeks turn into months and you will eventually forget the last time you sat out in your garden or spent an hour or two strumming away on your guitar.
‘Stay Home Because You’re Well Day’ was dreamt up by Thomas and Ruth Roy, who created the holiday under the name of Wellcat Holidays and Herbs.
According to the website Days of the Year:
They [Thomas and Ruth Roy] have stated that it exists so that, “we can all call in “well,” instead of faking illness, and stay home from work.
The point of this holiday is to take a moment to just slow down and enjoy life, seeing as how it has become so very hectic over the recent years, what with the endless barrage of phone calls, text messages, emails, voicemails, etc. that we are faced with on an everyday basis.
And who can argue with that?
Last year, the mindful holiday sparked the hashtag #StayHomeBecauseYoureWellDay, with plenty of hard workers showing their approval.
Even if – like many workers – you haven’t bagged the day off tomorrow, make sure to take a bit of time out for yourself to focus on your own sense of wellbeing.
If you’re experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They’re open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58, and they also have a webchat service if you’re not comfortable talking on the phone.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via stories@unilad.co.uk
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.