Should you keep messaging after she says she needs a mental health break

This is not a negotiation point. She's told you directly that her headspace is not available for ongoing messaging right now. The words matter less than the message. Whether she says she needs to focus on herself, work through stuff, or just step back for a bit, the core fact is the same. Continued back-and-forth with you is not something she can handle right now.

This doesn't mean she doesn't like you. It doesn't mean the connection is dead. It means her resources are low. Messaging her anyway because you think you're different or special enough to be an exception is you deciding her stated boundary doesn't actually apply to you. That lands as pressure, not care.

Your reply has two jobs. First, show her you heard what she said and you respect it enough to actually do it. This takes a sentence or two. Second, make it clear you're not vanishing out of anger or withdrawal. You're stepping back because she asked you to. This matters because some people hear silence as rejection.

After that message lands, you're done initiating. No follow-ups in a week. No checking in after two weeks. No memes or random thoughts. She knows how to reach you if she changes her mind. Anything else is you trying to be an exception to what she just told you.

If she's reached out, you're back in play. Respond normally. But if weeks have passed and you haven't heard anything, the break has solidified into a no. This is information. It sucks, but it's clear. At that point, you're not waiting anymore. You're not checking in. You're moving on.

The timeline matters because real mental health breaks are usually four weeks or less. If someone needs space longer than that without any contact from them, they've basically chosen not to continue. Messaging after that point becomes pestering, not patience. Read the silence as the answer.