What is Blue Monday?
Blue Monday, which falls on the third Monday of January, has been named the most depressing day of the year. They day relates to the seasonal challenges individuals face at this time of year, including post-holiday blues, the cold, dark weather and financial pressure from Christmas spending. Whilst the term can be debated, the struggles it highlights are real for many individuals. In the UK, these struggles reflect broader workplace mental health challenges, with 91% of employees reported having high work-related stress and 20% having taken time off for mental health issues stemming from the workplace.
Supporting your team all year-round
While Blue Monday serves as a timely reminder to address workplace stress, burnout, and mental health challenges, we encourage employers to make this an ongoing effort all year-round.
Here are four key strategies to build a healthier and more supportive work environment:
Recognising and addressing burnout
Burnout is a significant issue, with 77% of employees feeling burned out in their current roles. Whether your team is chasing targets, managing campaigns, or meeting project deadlines, if burnout is left unaddressed it can severely impact and individual’s mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing, making it essential to provide early support and prioritise their health and happiness.
Employers can address this by spotting the early signs of stress, such as declining performance or disengagement. By encouraging open conversations about mental health and providing access to counselling or support resources, and holding regular one-to-one check-ins, it can strengthen communication and help identify issues before they escalate. Better communication also helps create a healthier and more resilient team.
Building a supportive workplace culture
The key to creating a positive workplace, starts with open communication and approachable management. Employees should feel comfortable raising concerns without fear of judgment.
To create this environment, you should schedule regular check-ins to discuss workload and wellbeing as well as organise team-building activities or informal gatherings to build a sense of community. Providing easy access to mental health resources also ensures employees feel supported.
Providing resources and training
Equipping employees with tools to manage stress empowers them to perform at their best. Practical workshops on stress or time management can be particularly beneficial for teams that work in a high-pressure environment and towards tight deadlines.
Resources that you can consider offering to your employees may be wellness initiatives such as mindfulness sessions or fitness programmes. Mental health training may be an option, which can help reduce stigma and encourage those to seek help when needed. You can explore online resources or apps that support mental wellbeing to share with your team.
Proactively promoting these resources ensures employees know help is available when they need it.
Promoting work-life balance
Work-life balance is crucial to employee happiness and productivity, especially in high-pressure roles. Flexible working arrangements, such as remote work or adjustable hours can help employees manage their personal and professional responsibilities.
As an employer you should be encouraging your team to take regular breaks during the workday and use their holiday entitlement fully to recharge.
By focusing on promoting a good work-life balance for your employees, it means you will benefit too! This has been proven by 89% of HR professionals who reported improved retention rates after implementing flexible working policies at their organisation.
Conclusion
Blue Monday is not the only time of year you should be supporting your team’s wellbeing and addressing stress and burnout. By doing this throughout the year, it helps your team maintain productivity and motivation.
Employers play a critical role in recognising burnout, encouraging work-life balance, and creating a culture of support. Bringing in the right talent can also ease pressure and strengthen team morale.
As experienced sales, marketing and engineering recruitment specialists, we’re here to help you build resilient teams that thrive. Upload your vacancy today and let us support you in creating a team set up for success.