Calls to health and wellbeing provider increased by 13.9% on 'Blue Monday' 2019

Christmas is well and truly over, everyone is back at work and the nights are dark and cold. Compounded by the despair over failed New Year’s resolutions and waiting till payday finally arrives, it’s no wonder so many people feel down in the dumps by January 20.
The day has become known as Blue Monday and is allegedly the ‘most depressing day of the year.’ While many argue that ‘Blue Monday’ is just a marketing ploy and not based on actual scientific research, there is no doubting the mental health effects of the winter months.
Therefore, it is not surprising to learn that health and wellbeing provider, Health Assured, received 959 calls to their employee counselling service on Blue Monday 2019, the highest number of calls in one day in 2019 and 117 more calls (13.9% increase) than Blue Monday 2018. The provider also saw a 25% year on year increase in the number of calls they received in January.
So what can employers do to help their staff’s morale through January on the most depressing day of the year? David Price, CEO and workplace wellbeing expert at Health Assured, said:
“Encouraging your employees to stick to their New Year’s resolutions can be a great way to forget about the January blues. Offering free fruit to staff, discounted gym membership or starting a running club are great ways to promote being healthy in the workplace. You should recommend that staff take regular breaks, during the dark winter months employees rarely see the sun, so it’s great to encourage them to get outside and enjoy the little bit of sunshine we do have.”
Price added:
“If employers want to keep happiness all year round, offering company perks or benefits can create something to look forward to as soon as they enter the office. Also, offering employees an EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) allows them to talk openly about any issues, whether physical, mental or financial they have. Finally, it is important to note that mental health is a year-round issue that many struggle to deal with and employers should consider if they’re doing enough to help those employees who might be struggling and perhaps don’t know where to turn.”
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