To take a sick day during my notice period because of my mental health?

[holdingonfordearlifee]

Trigger warning: Mentions of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts

I've been suffering with my mental health due to my job for the last year. I strongly suspect I'm autistic, and I've found the social aspects of my job really difficult and draining (trying to understand the hidden 'rules' in the company culture, constant meetings over Microsoft Teams, presentations, 'fun' icebreakers and socials all the time, etc). I ended up having some kind of breakdown last year and getting signed off by my doctor for around 2.5 months.

I decided to hand in my notice recently, as I saw the same kind of slippery slope of my mental health declining again. I don't have another job lined up, but I have interviews this week and have enough savings to cover my outgoings for several months.

The last few weeks my mental health has been awful. Everyday I find myself just repeating 'I wish I was dead' over and over in my head. It's my first thought in the morning, and last at night. I want to make it very clear though that I would never harm myself, and I'm not in any danger of harming myself. I just feel trapped and filled with dread everyday at work, I've never experienced this feeling. I just feel overwhelmed and like I can't cope.

WIBU to take a sick day for my mental health or should I just push through? I have a month left of my notice period.

You're ill. That's what sick days are for.

Take the sick day. What's the worst that can happen - they won't give you a reference? It sounds like your beyond the point of needing to care about that anyway as you are able to take a few months off. Your health is more important

It's not what I would do, but I'm not you! You must do what you feel is right for you. Best wishes and all the best with your upcoming interviews.

Take the sick day and look after you. Sick days are for mental health as much as physical health.

Also, when you notice you’re repeating that thought, change it. Repetition can be very powerful, and there can be a ‘repeat until true’ effect. You don’t want to gaslight yourself, but you can soften the thought by, eg changing it to something realistic, eg ‘I’m not having the best time right now, but it will change, nothing lasts forever’ or ‘I’m feeling wobbly, but I’m going to take care of myself until I feel better’ etc, etc. And at the same time, try and work out why you’re feeling like you wish you were dead at times and what that’s telling you about what needs to change in your life for your needs to be met.

I’ve done exactly that.
In fact my doctor signed me off up to my final day of my notice period because I was so close to suicide due to my job.

Your health comes first.

Don’t just take a day, get signed off until the end of the month and rest and relax and give yourself good time to recover and get another job.

good luck at interview

They will replace you without a second thought take the day off. You need to focus on you. You are important.

This! Lots of people get signed off until their leave date. Best of luck OP x

Trouble is when you take mental health day for depression it doesn’t usually help as the lack of direction and targets and meaningful ness on your day spirals the depression. Better to keep busy I usually think.