Companies are giving workers days off, reward vouchers or entry to curiosity free loans to assist them address “Blue Monday”.
At the moment – the third Monday of January – is taken into account to be probably the most miserable day of the yr, with folks feeling the pinch of an additional lengthy stretch between pay day, culminating with an finish to the festive season and chilly climate.
The time period was first coined by psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall in 2004 after he supposedly devised the formulation for the bleakest day to assist a journey firm promote holidays.
Whereas many psychologists think about there to be no scientific credibility to assist it, the time period has caught ever since.
Information supplied to Cash by WorldPay reveals journey spending elevated by 37% on Blue Monday final yr, in comparison with the week prior.
The overall worth of on-line funds additionally elevated, rising by 7%.
Pete Wickes, common supervisor of EMEA enterprise at Worldpay, stated: “While retail events like Black Friday may be better known, Blue Monday is gaining traction as a notable date in the calendar for sectors like the travel industry.
“Marketed properly, for retailers these occasions are alternatives to kick-start the yr, whereas for buyers they signify a solution to beat the January blues with a little bit discretionary spending.”
Regardless of multimillionaires criticising the UK workforce for being obsessive about having a work-life steadiness final week, a number of corporations have launched initiatives for his or her workers to deal with the January blues.
James Thurlow-Craig, managing director at Create Designs, has beforehand given his workers Blue Monday off, however this yr he has deliberate an exercise for his group as an alternative – they are going glass blowing.
Picture:
A few of the Create Designs group
“The team had been joking internally that as a team building activity they’d want to do a team ‘school trip’ somewhere for the day. They wanted something where we take the day off to do something fun but slightly educational,” he stated.
“On a professional level, over the last 13 years we’ve really seen the positive impact on the business it has when the team are motivated and generally happy, so we make sure to organise trips and activities whenever we can to recognise their hard work.”
Sophie Rhone, proprietor of Cupid PR, has taken it one step additional, providing all her workers the day without work to recuperate.
“We’re strong advocates of maintaining work-life balance, especially after my 10 years working at a global agency, where I witnessed first hand how quickly burnout can occur, particularly by the end of Q1,” she stated.
“We decided to pay all of our contractors and freelancers while closing for the day as a gesture of appreciation for their hard work. This initiative is aimed at helping them recharge and avoid burnout, fostering a happier and more productive team in the long term.”
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Sophie Rhone
Throughout Leeds, London, Manchester and Edinburgh, workers at PrettyGreen will probably be given a £50 reward voucher to spend on “something that will give them an endorphin boost”.
CEO Jessica Hargreaves Paczek has additionally given her workers an early pay day and entry to a “no questions asked” £1,000 curiosity free mortgage.
“We don’t know specifically how Blue Monday impacts our staff as it’s against our company values to ask intrusive personal questions. But we do know that January is synonymous with feeling low,” she stated.
“We regularly consult our team to understand what will add most value to them. So, our January well-being and Blue Monday initiatives are based on what the team found most effective for their well-being in previous last years.”
Employees can entry psychological well being recommendation, on-line fitness center lessons and dietary recommendation all through January too.
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Jessica Hargreaves Paczek
How does Blue Monday have an effect on folks’s temper and what are you able to do to fight it?
New analysis from Psychological Well being First Support England revealed that solely 17% of workers really feel motivated to go to work every day.
One in 10 workers stated they by no means really feel impressed by their job, and fewer than 1 / 4 felt enthusiastic day by day.
Mixed with a spell of winter blues, January can show to be a month when extra folks really feel down, drained, irritable and confused.
Dr Phil Clarke, senior lecturer in psychology on the College of Derby identified that despair is a “much more distressing and a longer-term condition than one key day”.
“Instead of being pessimistic in January, it can be an exciting and optimistic month for people. It is an opportunity to start fresh,” he stated.
Listed below are a few of his solutions that can assist you by means of:
Attempt to realize your New Yr’s resolutions
If you’re struggling to stay to your New Yr’s resolutions, he suggested going again over them and re-evaluating the place you could possibly make small adjustments that can assist you obtain your targets.
Get exterior and train
Train helps launch endorphins within the mind, that are generally known as “happy chemicals”, he stated.
“You may feel tired and sore immediately after working out, but you will feel mentally more positive, happy and experience a mental high.
“Common train helps cut back stress and emotions of tension, boosts your shallowness and helps along with your sleep. So, hold lively.”
Spend time with friends and family
“This doesn’t value something financially and may immediately make you’re feeling higher by placing an enormous smile in your face,” Clarke added.
“Optimistic psychology reveals that counting your blessings and be aware of the nice issues in your life can result in enhancements in temper and wellbeing.”
Try a hobby or volunteer
Dr Clarke said starting a new activity or volunteering could help.
“In addition to taking care of your self, there may be nothing higher than the sensation of serving to others. When you have some spare time, see what volunteering alternatives are on supply in your native space and assist to those that want it,” he added.
