January doesn't have to be blue

When Big Ben strikes in London on New Years’ Eve the world is filled with optimism, resolutions, good intentions and joy. Fast-forward a few weeks and those feelings are often long gone. Instead, we’re fed up with the weather, the days feel endless, and we’re broke.

The winter blues are real. Instead of ignoring them and the impact they have on the people around you, it’s time for businesses to step up and prioritise their team wellbeing year round.

What is Blue Monday?

The third Monday of January has been dubbed ‘Blue Monday’ and is touted as the most depressing day of the year. This idea was dreamed up as part of a marketing campaign to encourage people to book holidays, it’s not based on fact. That aside, the concept of ‘Blue Monday’ is easy to buy into.

After the magic of Christmas, the excitement of a new year and the dazzling array of festive lights and events, January can feel a bit plain, a bit dull and a bit sad.

Unlike December which disappears in the blink of an eye, January seems to drag on forever and by the third Monday which is inevitably dark, gloomy and cold, we’re all dreaming of warmer weather and happier times.​

Combatting the winter blues

The truth is that January can be hard. Maybe Christmas has stretched your budget and you’re suffering the consequences or perhaps you’re missing a loved one and the holidays has reminded you of your loss. There’s a whole myriad of personal reasons people might be struggling in January and we need to avoid falling into the trap of trivialising people’s struggles and challenges.

A few years ago researchers at Cornel University studied the language of 509 million tweets from across the globe. They found a correlation between the emotional language in the posts and the seasons. When the days started shortening, there was a decline in the positive words used in posts. The link between our mood and the weather is real, the amount of daylight has an impact on our wellbeing and mood and we need to do what we can to boost morale.

Research has found that 44% of employees think that winter negatively impacts their wellbeing, 51% say it affects their mood and for 3% of the population that can manifest as Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression that rears its head in the winter.

For employers, it’s time to think about how you can support your team through these harder times.

Mental health is for life, not just for January

Much like puppies, mental wellbeing is a year round commitment. If you’re serious about making a difference and positively contributing to your team's mental wellbeing you need initiatives that run year round, not a token gesture in January.

There are a couple of reasons why we need to start thinking about employee wellbeing. The first is that morally, we need to step up for the people we employ. They’re an essential part of our business and spend many, many hours doing their best for us. As employers we have a duty of care towards them to make sure the environment we provide is supportive, safe and a place for people to thrive.

There’s also a link between employee wellbeing and productivity. The University of Warwick’s Centre for Competitive Advantage found that when staff are happier their productivity increases by 20%. For your firm that means increased output and likely an increase in profit.

For too long employers have shirked their responsibility, citing employee wellbeing as a ‘personal issue’. We can’t keep on doing that. In 2024, the term ‘how to reduce stress’ was googled once every 10-minutes in the UK. As employers we need to step up with our year-round support, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t do something extra in January when life might feel a little bit harder.

Steps to support your team year round

Embedding a culture of wellbeing into your firm is the best way that you can support your team through the harder times. That’s because wellbeing support isn’t something you can click your fingers and achieve. It’s not just having access to counselling or private healthcare, it runs deeper than that, it’s about creating a supportive culture where people can be their authentic selves.

Here are some ways that you can start on your journey to creating a culture that nurtures your team and looks after every aspect of their wellbeing.

Psychological safety

Wellbeing at work starts with creating a place that people want to be. Part of that is fostering psychological safety - that’s ensuring people feel they can be their true selves, sharing what they want or need to without fear of discrimination or negative consequences. It’s also about weaving support throughout every aspect and allowing people to admit fears, weaknesses or mistakes.

When that environment exists people feel more relaxed and sure of themselves which provides a foundation of appreciation, inclusivity and support which is essential for mental wellbeing. This begins with leaders showing vulnerability, and training around communication and feedback style.

Support when they need it

At Ambition we’re committed to training more mental health first aiders. We firmly believe that everyone should be able to access, and offer, support when it’s needed. You never know who a team member might lean on when they’re struggling and we want everyone to be equipped to offer that shoulder to cry on.

We understand that people might need time off for therapy or other wellbeing appointments and we’re quick to signpost people to professionals when help is needed. In other words, we’re always looking for opportunities to offer help, we don’t wait to be asked.

Policies and training

For any wellbeing initiatives to be taken seriously, they need to be documented. That’s where policies and training come in. It’s no good having a series of benefits or services available if no one knows what they are or how to access them.

Not only that, but the process of creating a wellbeing policy will raise questions you hadn’t thought of. Do you have any data about staff wellbeing right now? How will you measure its success? Do you have a budget for this? Who is responsible for assessing the policy’s impact? What obstacles are there?

Once you have a comprehensive policy in place, it’s time to start training everyone on it, alongside general wellbeing training. We all need to play our part in looking out for ourselves and each other. The more people you can empower, the more impact you will have.

Celebrate success

We don’t celebrate success enough as a society. Particularly in the winter months it’s easier to see the doom and gloom than it is the light. That’s why in the darker months we need to look for glimmers - moments of joy, success and happiness and we need to celebrate those.

Building in regular opportunities to shout about success, highlight when someone’s overcome a challenge and just pat ourselves on the back is an easy way to boost morale and make someone’s week.

The idea of Blue Monday might have been created as a marketing ploy but it highlights the sadness that many people feel in January. As employers, we need to recognise this and start to do better. Not just in January, but in every month of the year. There are simple steps that we can, and we should, be taking to support our people when they need it and to build joy into our work environments.

People want to work as part of high performing teams, to ensure this, people need to bring their best and true authentic selves to work, to think of the impact they can have with their colleagues through sharing not just the big wins, but the small wins and successes. By supporting each other we can focus on keeping blue January at bay.
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