Are you feeling any better today?

Many of us will have started the New Year with positive resolutions: lose weight; stop smoking; start exercising more and… find a new job! All too soon it gets round to THAT day again – Blue Monday. The most depressing day of the year, apparently – and, in case you missed it by any chance, it was yesterday!

Why?

• The mornings are still dark
• The evenings are also dark
• It seems so long since you got paid before Christmas and still so long till you get paid again
• The credit card bill has landed on the doormat, and
• … you haven’t even shifted one pound that you put on over the festive period

So what is Blue Monday?

Originally a PR gimmick for Sky Travel in 2005, Blue Monday is now a recognised annual event.  Published by Cliff Arnall, life coach and happiness consultant, Blue Monday is made up of a formula of bad weather, debt, the period of time since Christmas, New Year’s resolutions failings and generally low motivation, contributing to feelings of sadness and hopelessness.

What can you do?

There are a number of things you can do to cheer yourself up, such as:-

• Exercise – get off the sofa and away from the TV and do something active
• Hobbies – go to the cinema; visit your favourite restaurant
• Plan a holiday – something to look forward to, even if it’s just a weekend away
• Try to think positive

How to keep your workforce motivated?

January aside, how do you keep your employees engaged going forward? If you don’t currently do any of these, maybe now is the time to start:-

• Look to invest in an employee discount scheme such as Perkbox
• Staff training
• Team nights out
• Encourage employees’ input
• Introduce ‘Employee of the Month’
• Engage an incentive project company such as Corporate Rewards

When it’s more serious…

OK, nobody can be happy and upbeat all the time but, what can you do to help your staff when they suffer from mental health issues all year round? Employees need to be reassured that you will be there to support them in times of need.  You could also encourage them to seek professional help.

The Samaritans can be contacted 24 hours a day and details can be found by clicking here.