Staying home from work when you’re sick is a no-brainer. Sure, we all know those people who still come in with a nasty cold because they want to prove that a virus isn’t going to stop them from performing their role—we’re a country of chronic workaholics, after all. But for the most part, we know that when we’re sick, it’s in everyone’s best interest for us to cash in on a sick day (assuming we have one) and stay home to recover.

Yet we never think to do the same when our mental health is subpar. “If you break a leg, you’re expected to stay home and heal. But if your brain is in a bad place for a day or so, you don’t give it the same break,” Katherine Glick, licensed professional counselor, certified holistic health coach, and therapist at Talkspace, tells SELF. While a cough or sneeze can elicit eye-rolls from co-workers, there’s no blatant outward sign that tells others you’re feeling unwell mentally.

There’s also an attitude toward mental health that doesn’t quite allow us to view things like anxiety, stress, and depression on the same plane as the flu or a sinus infection. “There’s still a little stigma attached,” Glick says. As more and more high profile celebrities speak out about their own mental health problems, it’s helped reduce that stigma a bit. But we’ve still got a ways to go.

Many people still think mental health problems are “all in your head,” or that you should “just shrug it off,” Glick says. But we’re not doing ourselves any favors by subscribing to that. Paying attention to your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and deserves just as much of our attention. Here are four reasons you should call in sick when you need to mentally recuperate.

1. A mental health day is excellent preventive medicine

“With all mental health issues, whether diagnosable illnesses or just extreme stress that’s causing issues, it’s important to recognize that prevention is so much better than intervention,” Glick says. If you can prevent a complete mental overload and breakdown, you’ll save yourself time, money, heartache, and future mental health days. It’s easier to prevent yourself from falling into a dark place than having to pull yourself out after you’ve fallen.

2. A better state of mind makes you a better employee.

Taking the time to engage in relaxation or wellness activities counteracts stress hormones and boosts the feel-good chemicals in your brain, which helps bring you back to a good place mentally. On top of boosting your mood, they also help relieve stress, improve memory, and bring you better sleep. These are all crucial for for mental and physical well-being—and for staying on top of your game at work. Anything that makes you happy is a boon to your health in comparison to the detrimental effects of stress on everything from your heart to your skin. And a happy worker is a better worker, so the day off will pay you (and your boss) back in dividends of efficiency tomorrow.

3. Sometimes you need to make YOU your top priority

We all need wellness activities, those things that always make us feel good, Glick says. Whether it’s yoga, watching your favorite TV show, spending time with family, or reading a book alone, making your favorites a regular part of your routine is essential. Except we tend to skip those things first when work and social obligations seem more pressing. If you haven’t been able to find time for your wellness activities, spending an entire day doing them can give you the mood boost you need—and remind you why you should make time for things that make you smile. “Take yourself out on a date to do these things that make you feel good, and don’t view it as a luxury,” Glick says. “View it as something you’re doing proactively to contribute to your mental health.”

4. It’ll help you remember what’s actually important

It’s easy to develop tunnel vision in our daily lives. “Many of us have demanding jobs and bosses and it’s hard to mentally step outside of that and recognize what’s happening within us,” Glick says. A mental health day is a chance to reconnect with yourself and check in on how you’re feeling and if you’re staying true to your values. Just finally having time to be aware and present with yourself is invaluable, and something we should all do regularly–even if it means you have to ditch the office. You and your mind fully deserve the break.