African Man Working In The U.S. Apologizes To Americans He Made Fun Of For Taking Mental Health Days
Corporate America is far more exhausting than he realized.
wavebreakmedia | Shutterstock Corporate America is exhausting, and burnout is incredibly common. In fact, 2025 research from Moodle found that 66% of American employees are experiencing burnout, which is exactly why mental health days are so prevalent.
Yet it seems that those outside of this country don't quite understand the need for mental health days. One African man admitted that he fell into that camp. He didn't get why Americans needed to take time away from work to maintain their mental health — until he began working in the U.S. himself.
The African man working in the U.S. apologized to Americans he made fun of for taking mental health days.
In a heartfelt admission, the Zambian man, known online as "Big Sam," apologized to Americans he previously mocked for taking mental health days. He confessed that he used to think Americans complained a lot, but since moving to America and working in the country, he gained a new understanding.
"I’ve been asking for some mental health days off," Sam said, laughing. "Like, I need some mental health time off. They were not lying."
America's 'hustle culture' is often exhausting.
Sam quickly discovered that the constant "hustle culture" that American society promotes is unsustainable. Many corporate environments are fast-paced and come with high, often unreasonable, expectations.
There is also a competitive culture prominent in many U.S. workplaces. Employees may find themselves vying for promotions, raises, or opportunities to stand out. This competitive environment can drive high performance, but it also leads to stress and poor mental health.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports that approximately 83% of U.S. workers suffer from work-related stress, with 54% claiming that work stress affects their home life. Moreover, workplace stress has been reported to cause 120,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.
Prolonged stress and untreated mental health problems can lead to serious physical health issues, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and sleep disorders. By taking time for mental health, employees can avoid these long-term health complications, leading to better overall well-being.
When done correctly, mental health days can be incredibly beneficial.
By taking time off in the form of a mental health day, you give your body a chance to recover, re-energize, and restore mental clarity.
Writing for the Mayo Clinic, Angela Theisen, L.C.S.W., discussed mental health days, defining them as "limited time away from your usual responsibilities with the intention of recharging and rejuvenating your mental health." She added, "It is an intentional act to alleviate distress and poor mood and motivation, while improving attitude, morale, functioning, efficiency, and overall well-being."
Theisen further noted that such days have a multitude of benefits, including reducing feelings of burnout, boosting morale, increasing resiliency, reducing mental health crises, and improving physical health. Somewhat counterintuitively, mental health days have also been shown to improve productivity.
"A mental health day is much more than just getting a latte and taking a nap. Or sleeping until noon and then mindlessly scrolling through social media all afternoon. These are easy ways to waste away a day but not improve your mental health," Theisen cautioned. "Be intentional about the activities you do during a mental health day to get the full benefits and improve your health."
She suggested unplugging from social media, spending time outside, getting active, and doing something creative.
Sylvia Ojeda is an author who has over a decade of experience writing novels and screenplays. She covers self-help, relationships, culture, and human interest topics.