While the exact date and contributing factors for Blue Monday may be open to interpretation, the employee benefits team at Everywhen explains that January may one of the most difficult times of the year, however, as all pillars of health and wellbeing are inextricably linked, and all affect mental health, the company is urging employers to be prepared to support employees where necessary and across all pillars, including physical, financial and social.
Blue Monday falls on the third Monday of January and is said to be the most depressing day of the year, based on weather conditions, debt levels, time since Christmas, time since New Year’s resolutions were made and broken and low motivational levels. However, Everywhen is a big supporter of the principle that all four pillars of health and wellbeing must be firmly in place to support the whole employee. Indeed, the Blue Monday concept shows how the breakdown of other elements of wellbeing can lead to an overall decrease in mental health.
“Blue Monday marks the meeting of many factors contributing to overall poor mental health, these include low ebbs in all four pillars of health and wellbeing, where finances are pushed, social batteries are low, physical health can be poor after the excesses of the holiday season, and mental health can consequently hit a low,” says Debra Clark, head of wellbeing at Everywhen.