The winter blues are something many employees experience. Whether working from home or going into the office every day, the monotony of the winter season can put a damper on any employee’s motivation to work.
Also commonly referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the winter blues is a type of depression that is triggered by the change in seasons. About 5% of adults in the U.S. experience SAD in some form ¹. This type of seasonal depression can have an impact on employee performance and “make it particularly difficult for employees to remain motivated and can lead to a significant decrease in performance and mental energy, as well as an increase in frustration, absenteeism and even turnover” ². However, companies can be proactive and create incentives to help pull their employees out of a seasonal rut. We put together a few ways you can help your employees beat the winter blues.
Break up the routine with trainings
One way to combat the winter blues is to encourage team members to attend new trainings and webinars. Trainings allow employees to learn new material while breaking up their daily routine.
Organize social gatherings
Providing employees with appreciation days can help increase morale. Some companies schedule breaks where people can gather around for coffee or breakfast to catch up with fellow employees. Other ideas include hosting theme parties or peer recognition lunches, as well as hosting mental health and wellness checks during meetings to boost optimism in the workplace.
Add natural light and greenery
Even something as simple as making sure there is a lot of natural light and adding some plants to the office can help elevate the workplace environment. If an office is lacking natural light, creating a wellness area with a couple of light therapy lamps could be a great way to help boost employee morale as well as their Vitamin D intake throughout the long and dark winter months.
Remember, while the winter can be a challenging time mentally, there are many things you can do for yourself and for your employees to make sure you beat the winter blues. No matter what action you choose to take to combat these struggles, it is important to always remain engaged with your workforce so you can monitor employee morale, progress, and gauge what techniques are and/or are not working in promoting mental health amongst your employees.
For more information, see the below resources:
1: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9293-seasonal-depression
2: https://www.payrollmedics.com/blog/10-tips-to-help-your-employees-beat-the-winter-blues
https://thinkhealth.priorityhealth.com/how-to-help-employees-beat-the-winter-blues/
https://www.hrmonline.com.au/mental-health/workplace-winter-blues/