The gloomiest day of the year is officially the third Monday of January, known as #BlueMonday 21st January 2019.
It was first identified in 2005 by academic Cliff Arnell who looked at a range of factors that make us glum, including debt levels, bad weather, divorce rates and the number of days since the Christmas holidays.
At Healthy Performance towers, we have decided to take action and turn the traditional #BlueMonday into a positive day and be proactive about feeling down in the dumps. This is what we are planning, we hope it provides you with some inspiration for your workplace.
We are setting up a mini wall of positivity, just by our kettle a popular location in everyone’s office. On there we will write quotes, words and simply anything that will boost all our moods.
The team have also shared what they will be doing or ideas on how to turn this day around.
Two members of our operations team, Kerry and Rachel suggest listening to happy music on the way to work to start the day off well 💃We often hear them arriving blasting their favourite tunes from their cars. They are such a happy team. Here is a list of Ten Songs That Always Make You Smile
- 1 I Want You Back – Jackson 5.
- 2 Carry My Love – Sarah Geronimo.
- 3 Mr Brightside – The Killers
- 4 Downtown – Petula Clark.
- 5 Don’t Worry, Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin.
- 6 Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys.
- 7 Happy – Pharrell Williams
- 8 Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns N’ Roses.
- 9 I’m Happy Just to Dance With You – The Beatles.
- 10 Hey Ya! – Outkast.
Kerry is also sending a bulk message to all friends and family to wish them a happy and positive day and hopefully will get some back to spread the positivity.
An important one from our boss Wayne is to get a great night sleep, especially on a Sunday and he always gives his little boys a “massive” Daddy squeeze (bigger than normal) on Mondays to start their week at school. A hug on a Monday what a positive way to start the week and beat the gloom.
Simon, client relationship director is going to be smiling and making time do something he loves, a spot of fishing.
Attempting to cook a new recipe is Charlotte marketing manager, slow cooked Lamb Madras, shopping for the ingredients over the weekend, preparing on Sunday and popping in the slow cooker Monday morning. Enjoying (hopefully) with friends on Monday night
This is a lovely thought by Emma from operations, give 5 people a positive compliment about themselves during the day.
Sam one of client relationship managers along with his beloved beagle ‘Rory’ suggests, trying a new dog walking route, take your pup for an adventure, both of you will love it!
Ashley new to our client relationship team is full of energy “I am full of positivity at the minute with moving house and a new job”. His idea is excellent, how about changing your surroundings, this could be as simple as rearranging the outlay of a room.
Here are a few extra ideas to share with your work colleagues.
- Exercise – studies have shown that physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. How about go out for a run or try a free fitness class online. Harley is fully on board with this and is meeting up with a mate to go boxing.
- Laugh – stick on a favourite movie or visit a comedy club. Scientists believe levels of stress hormones tend to decrease during bouts of laughter.
- Invite friends over – plan a spontaneous gathering to eat, drink and chat it’s a cheap way to socialise and forget the January blues.
- Be productive – create a list of realistic targets to tackle washing loads, complete house chores or unclutter the shed. Think about the feeling of achievement at the end of the day.
We hope this brings an end to #BlueMonday and a start to #JollyJanuary
This is all wonderful but it important to note that depression and feeling down is not just about January, it can come at any time. In 2018 we launched our Mental Health platform. Pascal is designed to highlight where people may need some help in and out of the workplace to manage their mental health. It can be a great starting point if you are looking at mental health support within your workplace, the tool will provide you with a global understanding of your workforce.
To find out more email team@healthyperformance.co.uk or call 0800 170 1777