Are you feeling pulled from every angle with no relief in sight? It may time for a break.

It’s tough to drop everything sometimes, but it’s even worse to keep running on empty. It’s likely that your employer gives you both vacation and personal days off. Don’t be afraid to use that personal day to take a mental health break, rest and recover.

All days off are not created equally.

Your employer may offer many types of paid time off. And this could leave you a little confused.

•       Vacation days are typically reserved for vacation-specific events and time traveling or doing other enjoyable activities.
•       PTO (paid time off) days are used more broadly and can tack onto vacation time. These days can be used for various reasons. The difference is, they’re usually planned in advance rather than coming up last minute due to an emergency or illness.
•       Sick days are used when you feel too ill to go to work. Everything from a common cold to more serious issues like pneumonia are bucketed under sick days. Sick time can also cover time for surgery or if an illness requires hospitalization. Feel free to also use this time when you need to stay home because the kids or other loved ones are sick and require your care.
•       Personal days fit into the remaining categories. When something comes up that needs your attention, or when you just need to stay away for a day, make it a personal one.

Some employers may encompass everything into one or a few categories, and consequently, not mind which day you use for what. But for some workplaces, and in certain personal instances, it could make a difference.