Did you know, Blue Monday started off as a PR stunt?
Based on data such as the weather, motivation levels, New Year’s Resolutions beginning to wane, and the time since the festive holidays ended, the third Monday of January was declared the most depressing day of the year.
The calculations behind the date aren’t exactly scientific, but there certainly is some truth to Blue Monday. So, here are a few ways you can navigate the blues at work - whether you work in a busy team, or as an entrepreneur.
1. Pinpoint why you’re feeling blue
At Calmer, we believe a happy mind makes for a happy business. When things feel out of sync, this can affect our focus, attention and in the workplace, our motivation, productivity levels and engagement with others.
Blue Monday present a brilliant opportunity to discuss our mental wellbeing, and how normal it is to feel blue.
If you’re feeling this way, it may be useful to spend some time working out why you feel this way. Could it be your business performance? A relationship gone awry? Are you eating well? You may wish to try writing down how you feel, without judgement, and see what comes up.
If you’re feeling blue but can’t work out why, you may have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Feeling low is quite common during the winter months - see our guide to SAD for more information - and there are a few easy ways to remedy this, such as giving yourself more time to sleep, taking vitamin D supplements, ensuring as much natural light during the day as possible, and more.
2. Discuss your blues
By giving yourself permission to address how you feel, you may identify it would help to talk it through with someone, such as a trusted colleague, fellow entrepreneurial buddy, a friend or family member.
You’ll make up the time later on - addressing how you feel as a priority can help to improve motivation and focus, therefore enabling you to better apply yourself to your work.
As an entrepreneur or solo worker, you may find it particularly hard to connect with people, especially when you don’t consistently work in a team. Remember there are many people in a similar position to you and there are many ways to connect with like-minded people online, such as our regular online events.
3. Create a plan for managing the blues
Depending on the causation of your Blue Monday feeling, you may want to build a plan around overcoming it.
This can be adapting your wellbeing practices for winter, giving yourself defined working hours, or taking part in our Mindfulness Guides and Ecourses to nurture a regular self-care routine.
If burnout is a concern for you, make sure you subscribe to the Reignite Project, our award-winning campaign that offers a 10-week ecourse providing burnout prevention strategies - and it’s free to join!
Find what works for you
We could list out many ways that you can practise self-care, reduce overwhelm, and prevent stress from escalating and we hope you find the resources available on our website empowering and supportive. The truth is, you won’t necessarily know what resonates with you until you’ve tried out different approaches. Different things work for different people, so why not give our tips and guidance a go, and see what works for you.
From a workplace perspective, studies reveal there has never been more significant time to invest in workplace wellbeing and ensure staff are supported effectively. We provide tailored business programmes to support teams and business leaders empower a mentally healthy work culture, communicate more effectively, and improve their productivity. Whatever support you feel you may need, we’re here to help.