Top 10 Tips for Tackling the January Blues

After all the excitement of Christmas and fuelling our bodies with celebratory fun it’s no wonder that January is renowned for being the most depressing month of the year!

It’s a time of year when many of us face increasing credit card bills, increasing waistlines, increasingly dark, cold mornings and unpredictable bad weather.

The month is named after the god Janus, who is usually depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions – one into the future and one into the past. With this in mind it is appropriate that January should be the time for learning lessons from your past and applying them to the future.

So as an employer what can you do to fight the battle of the blues, deflect staff sickness and improve morale across the business?

We’ve got some ideas that might just help your teams:

  1. Simple and yet effective - ask your staff how they are doing? Remember to always praise where praise is due – a simple thanks as recognition of a job well done will go a long way
  2. Reflect on the organisations wins/losses – ask your staff how they think you are doing?
  3. Hold brainstorming sessions for ‘New Ideas’ – whether it be innovative business concepts or just improvements for optimum effectiveness and productivity.
  4. Encourage staff to start planning their summer holidays – this will not only add a touch of sunshine to the office with ‘something to look forward to’, but also enable you to plan the year more effectively.
  5. Take lunch breaks as a team and focus discussions on individual aspirations for the coming months.
  6. Keep up with regular 1-1 reviews and encourage staff to take ownership of their own ideas for personal or organisational development
  7. Develop a ‘Well-being’ program to encourage healthier lifestyles – i.e. potentially introducing subsidised gym membership/ cycle to work schemes/ healthy eating advice/ flu vaccinations etc.
  8. Introduce a Team Building session or Staff Day out to improve relationships and keep staff motivated
  9. Set goals as a team to improve well-being, such as taking a brisk walk for 20 mins every lunch time or ensuring you all get your 5-a-day.
  10. Start up a ‘feel good’ project, such as a ‘Green Team’ to work on the organisations energy efficiency or perhaps even supporting a local charity.