Beating the January Blues in your workplace

Written By: Lauren Taylor, BSc Hons, MSc 

The days are short and dark, we have to readjust to routine after the Christmas break and it feels like a long month ahead. These are some of the most quoted reasons for the ‘January Blues’. Many of us feel a lower mood at this time of year, whether we have had a difficult festive Christmas time or one filled with fun.

A recent study of 2,000 adults found that 44% of adults think they struggle with January blues and over 30% expect work to be awful this month. These statistics indicate an unproductive month. Over half of people surveyed thought they would be at work ‘in body but not in mind’ and could take a full week to get back to normal levels of productivity. 

Workplace wellbeing is incredibly important and not only boosts retention of employees but also productivity for an organisation.

*The Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) policy report on the Health and Wellbeing agenda demonstrates how integral employee well-being is to an organisation. The 2016 report showed only 9% of employees felt that their organisation was more proactive than reactive when it came to health and wellbeing (i.e. promoting health and well-being rather than simply taking action when people have gone off sick). This leaves 91% of employees feeling that their company could do more to prevent mental ill health. The report also found that for 43% of us long working hours are the norm. 

Organisations who integrated a robust wellbeing plan reported several substantial benefits. One case study of South Liverpool Homes reported:

  • Sickness absence reduced by 54% leading to £25,000 savings
  • Achieved Sunday Times ‘Best Not-For-Profit to work for’ First place and higher employee engagement
  • Customer satisfaction improved significantly
  • Best Health and well-being initiative in People Management Awards.

The dread of going back to work and the ‘January Blues’ are largely reduced when wellbeing is a priority in the workplace. When an employer understands the needs of its employees and can help to meet these needs it makes for a better organisation all round. 

Canine Workplace Wellbeing helps companies meet this need by offering customisable wellbeing packages to suit organisational needs and requirements through the use of professionally trained canine assisted therapy teams. 

Our canine assisted therapy teams  promote talking and help release our ‘pressure valve’ resulting in greater productivity, motivation and an overall boost to emotional wellbeing, helping reduce the effects of January blues

Our Wellbeing therapy teams can visit your workplace on a regular basis allowing your employees to advance book a twenty minute 1:1 session. During this 1:1 time which is confidential your employee will benefit from the unique effects of the human animal bond alongside one of our trained consultants.

If you would like to find out more about beating the January Blues in your workplace please contact us at info@canineassistedlearning.com  

 

*https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/health-well-being-agenda_2016-first-steps-full-potential_tcm18-10453.pdf