I posted this on r/jobs earlier but realized it actually belonged here. I have pretty severe anxiety which can cause bad sleep and insomnia. I often go to work and perform relatively well in spite of these symptoms and will end up "toughing it out" until I hit a limit and crash. Today was one of those. I woke up feeling leaden, and like I needed to catch up on sleep. But it turns out another coworker had also called in sick, and my boss clearly wasn't happy about it. I work as a receptionist in a very small doctor's office (&lt; 10 people) so coverage can become an issue if someone calls out. I spent the whole day guilt-ridden and feeling like my work ethic had gone down the drain instead of doing what I needed to take the day to do in the first place: sleep.

Someone suggested I schedule days off in advance, because a) it gives ample time for staffing/coverage purposes and b) it's something to look forward to. But putting in for time off also gives me the willies, because I'm afraid of what my boss will think of my work ethic or if she will judge me for how much time, how often, etc. I try and give 110% and have been told in performance reviews and by patients that I am good to work with, very helpful, friendly, etc. One woman even went as far as to tell the doctor who owns the practice how helpful I was in getting her in to be seen sooner. If you deal with work/life balance anxiety, how did you go about creating equilibrium so that you make time for your mental health and show up when needed?