Every January, we’re bombarded with talk of “Blue Monday,” supposedly the most depressing day of the year.
But let’s be clear: Blue Monday is a myth, created as a marketing ploy, not a psychological fact. What isn’t a myth, however, is that many people feel the strain in January, whether it’s financial stress, winter blues, and post-holiday pressure – all are real challenges. So instead of buying into the Blue Monday narrative, let’s focus on what really matters: creating meaningful, year-round workplace wellbeing strategies.
The danger of Blue Monday isn’t just that it’s unscientific, it’s that it risks trivialising genuine mental health struggles. By treating wellbeing as a one-day fix, organisations miss the opportunity to address the systemic factors that impact their employees’ mental health and engagement.
Last year, a company launched a “Blue Monday wellness day” with free yoga classes and healthy snacks.
While employees enjoyed the event, the goodwill quickly faded when they returned to long hours and tight deadlines. It’s not that initiatives like this aren’t valuable, they just can’t replace a consistent, strategic approach to wellbeing.
Studies from the Mental Health Foundation show that up to 60% of UK employees feel work significantly contributes to their stress, particularly in January. However, organisations with sustained wellbeing programmes report reduced stress, increased engagement, and better retention – not because of single events, but because of long-term investment in their people.
Imagine if we treated physical health the way we often treat mental health: one trip to the gym in January wouldn’t make up for a year of neglect. The same applies to wellbeing, it’s about the small, consistent steps that make the biggest difference.
Here are three practical ways to move beyond the Blue Monday myth and embed wellbeing into your workplace culture:
- Focus on Systemic Change: Review workloads, deadlines, and workplace policies to ensure they support, not hinder, employee wellbeing.
- Encourage Year-Round Check-Ins: Equip managers to have meaningful wellbeing conversations throughout the year, not just when stress peaks.
- Invest in Holistic Wellbeing Support: Offer resources like mental health training, Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), and flexible working policies that benefit employees all year long.
Let’s Talk
Blue Monday might be nonsense, but workplace wellbeing isn’t. What’s your organisation doing to build a culture of consistent, meaningful support? Let’s connect and create strategies that actually work.
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