A mental health day message says you are taking the day, that your work is handled and when you are back, as in "Hi Dana, I'm taking a personal day today and will be offline. My tasks are on track and nothing is due. Back tomorrow."
Whether you call it a mental health day or a personal day is your choice, both work in a message to a manager, and neither needs an explanation of what made today the day.
All 12 replies on this page
Type your details in the writer and every reply below fills itself in.
Professional 4
Hi [Manager's name], I'm taking a personal day today and will be offline. My tasks are on track and nothing is due. Back tomorrow.
Text
[Manager's name], I'd like to use a mental health day on [Day out]. My work is covered, [Who can cover] knows the open items, and I'll be back on [Back on].
Text
Personal day on [Day out]
Hi [Manager's name],
I'm taking a personal day on [Day out] and will be offline. I've wrapped up the items due this week, and [Who can cover] has agreed to field anything urgent from the team. I'll be back on [Back on] and will go through my inbox that morning.
Thanks,
[Your name]
Email
Using a mental health day
Hi [Manager's name],
I'd like to use one of my days today as a mental health day. Nothing on my plate is time-critical, and the weekly report will still go out on Thursday as planned. I'll be back tomorrow and available as usual.
Thank you,
[Your name]
Email
Warm 4
Hey [Manager's name], I'm taking a mental health day today. Everything urgent is handled. I'll be back tomorrow.
Text
Hi [Manager's name], using a mental health day today. Thank you for making that an option here. I'll be fully back tomorrow and will check in first thing.
Text
Taking today to recharge
Hi [Manager's name],
I'm taking today as a personal day and will be offline. Everything due is either done or on hold until tomorrow, and I'll be back in the morning ready to go. If anything comes up, [Who can cover] knows where my open items stand.
Thanks for understanding,
[Your name]
Email
Offline [Day out] for a personal day
Hi [Manager's name],
I'm taking [Day out] as a personal day to look after myself. My calendar is clear for the day, so no meetings need moving. [Who can cover] is up to speed on the client renewals and happy to cover. I'll be back on [Back on], and I really appreciate the flexibility.
Best,
[Your name]
Email
Brief 4
Personal day for me today, [Manager's name]. Offline until tomorrow morning.
Text
Taking a mental health day, [Manager's name]. Back on [Back on].
Text
Personal day today
Hi [Manager's name], I'm off on a personal day today and will be offline. Nothing is due today. Back tomorrow morning.
[Your name]
Email
Mental health day [Day out]
Hi [Manager's name], I'm using a mental health day on [Day out]. [Who can cover] has the open items, and I'll be back on [Back on].
[Your name]
Email
What to leave out
Justifying it. A personal day is a day off, not a case to argue.
Diagnoses or therapy details. Keep those for people you choose.
"I'll be checking email." Offline is the point; say when you are back instead.
Taking it on a deadline day without saying what happens to the deadline.
Apologizing more than once. One "thanks for understanding" is plenty.
Filling it in
Pick the phrasing you are comfortable with: some messages say personal day and some say mental health day. Fill in your manager's name and the day, add who covers if anyone does, and send it the evening before or first thing in the morning.
Questions people ask
Can I tell my boss I am taking a mental health day?
You can. If you would rather not name it, "personal day" says the same thing to a manager. Either way, the message works best short: the day you are out, that urgent work is covered and when you will be back online. What made today the day can stay out of it.
What should a mental health day text say?
That you are taking the day, that you will be offline, and when you are back, plus who covers if anything is due. You do not need to explain why today. A message sent the evening before or early in the morning keeps it from looking like an emergency.
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Everyone leaving soon
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