By Stephen Rybak, Principal & CCO, MDR

Every year on the Friday before Labor Day, our office goes quiet. Phones are off. Out-of-office replies are on. And if you text anyone on our team, you’ll probably get a photo of them doing something radically unproductive—paddle boarding, dog walking, baking, hammocking, or maybe just staring at clouds.

It’s not a glitch in our scheduling software.

It’s Mental Health Day at MDR.

And I’m proud to say, we still take it very seriously—by not taking anything seriously at all.

Where it Started

For those of you who follow our story, you might know our Mental Health Day traces back decades. It was the brainchild of our two founding partners, and while they’ve since moved on, their commitment to personal care still reigns —It’s how a regular ol’ company-wide day off transformed into something far more intentional. A full-stop, no-expectations, officially sanctioned break for mental well-being.

Not a sick day. Not a vacation day. A “take-care-of-yourself-on-purpose” day.

How It’s Going

When I stepped into the role of agency owner, I inherited a lot: a solid business reputation, a dog-friendly office, a hyper-creative culture, and an entire room full of vintage ad awards. But more importantly, I inherited a value system.

Mental health isn’t an HR checkbox at MDR. It’s foundational. And in this fast-moving, always-on, creative industry—where our ideas are our output—it’s not just nice to have. It’s essential.

So when people ask, “Are you still doing that mental health thing?”
My answer is always: Heck yeah. And here’s why.

It Works

Every year, after Mental Health Day, our team comes back lighter, happier, and dare I say it… more creative. Maybe it’s the dopamine boost from doing absolutely nothing. Or maybe it’s just the rare gift of being told: “You matter more than your inbox.”

Whatever the reason, it recharges our batteries in a way no regular holiday ever could.

It’s Evolving (Like We Are)

This year, we’ve expanded our wellness approach beyond one day. We’ve got quarterly pod adventures for our geographically growing teams, a kudos-only Teams channel that is restricted to good news, congrats and shoutouts. We’ve even got games setup around the office that not only relieve stress but tend to induce ideas or help problem-solve in the moment.

But the Friday before Labor Day? That’s sacred. No client work. No Teams pings. No guilt.

Just humans being human.

Your Turn

If you run a business—creative or otherwise—I encourage you to try this. One day. One calendar block. One message to your team that says:

“Take the day. Your mind matters.”

It’s low-cost, high-impact, and honestly, your people will come to cherish it.

Here at MDR, we’re proud to carry the torch. Proud to still believe in mental health as a workplace priority. And proud to work alongside some of the best, brightest (and now well-rested) minds in the business.

See you on September 2.
We’ll be off the grid until then.

Need more tips on how to implement a Mental Health Day at your company? Want to hear how our team spends theirs? Drop us a line—but maybe wait until the 2nd