Beating the stress of ‘Blue Monday’

Monday 18 January marks what is famously known on the business calendar – and may be a date many HR staff are familiar with – as Blue Monday.

In 2005, psychologist Cliff Arnall, from the University’s Cardiff Centre for Lifelong Learning, announced the third Monday of January is the most depressing day of the whole year.

This could be due to a continuation of the short days and cold weather, teamed with a come-down from the Christmas break.

Indeed, HR teams may have been forced to up their absence management agenda yesterday, as Blue Monday is frequently a day workers take off due to illness.

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However, such office professionals may wish to prepare for next year by advising staff members on steps they can take to ease the stress associated with the day.

The Telegraph recommends there are many advantages to be had by cancelling meetings scheduled to be held on the most depressing day of the year.

Executive coach Tom Preston told the newspaper such actions means “everyone gets the benefit of a little me time or time to catch up on all the things that feel like a tsunami that we have yet to do so far in 2010”.