Blue Monday: an opportunity to promote wellbeing?

Blue Monday has always been a controversial date in the calendar. Believed to be the most difficult day of the year, the third Monday in January has become a day that many dread.

It is certainly fair to say that with Christmas a distant memory, and the cold, dark days of Winter stretching ahead of us, January can feel a bit of a slog. However, if the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that difficult days don’t just happen once a year. In fact, since 2019, depression in adults has doubled, highlighting that there has never been a more important time to pay attention to our mental wellbeing.

The Origins of Blue Monday

The term ‘Blue Monday’ is believed to have been coined in the early 2000s as a relatively light-hearted marketing gimmick from travel firms looking to encourage holiday bookings. However, there is little science behind the day we apparently feel most depressed as a nation. In fact, you could even go as far to say that it is particularly unhealthy to have one single day with such a negative focus.

Looking after your wellbeing 365 days of the year

We’d like to turn this rather negative day around to have a more positive focus. We’d like to use Blue Monday as an opportunity to highlight the importance of being mindful of mental health and well-being all year round.

Caring for our mental health is just as important as looking after our physical health, so taking time out from the challenges of everyday life to have a little you-time, do something you love, or spend time with friends and family can provide greater balance and improve your mental health.

Also, being mindful of the wellbeing of others is something we shouldn’t forget. It could be the time to check-in with friends and loved ones to see how they are, and whether there is anything they need.

And of course, if you need to talk, there are people and organisations out there who can help.

Our approach to team well-being

At Giant we are always looking for ways to ensure our busy team feel supported from a mental health perspective. We’ve always encouraged an open culture, however last year we introduced well-being days – specific dates in the calendar when our team can take time to recuperate, reenergise, and find that work-life balance we all need. Some chose to spend it with family while others took a well-earned duvet day – the activity wasn’t important, but the benefits were clear.

We now also have a wellbeing forum, led by one of the team, to look at how we can enhance our support and improve our working practices for the benefit of everyone.

Our people give us a considerable amount of their lives. It’s only right that we try to make that time as valuable to them as it is to us and to the charities we support.

So, this Blue Monday we’ll be using the day to help promote the importance of being mindful of mental health and wellbeing rather than dwelling on negatives. We hope you’ll join us in giving this day a more positive focus.