Managing January blues at workplace

By WINSLEY MASESE

KENYA: The excitement of the festive season is slowly fading. In its place is the New Year. This is the time when almost all workers experience the January blues.

At work place, the talk of financial challenges during  the month dominates any discourse. This can easily affect employees concentration.

Betty Kimaru, a human resource practitioner argues that the best way to handle the Blues is by planning in advance on how to spend the festive period and stick to it.  “By doing so, one is prepared at the work place and hasty financial decisions are not made,” she advises.

 However, she is of the idea that once the blues take toll on a worker, the employer needs to come in and offer counseling when needed.

 “Besides, it would help a great deal if the company arranges a get together, just as is the case towards the end of the year,” she offers.  Studies have indicated that absenteeism from the workplace peaks in January.

During this time,  employees tend to explore ways to bridge the financial gap as a result of the overspending during the long December holidays.

 According to the 2012 Chartered Institute of Personnel Development,  ‘Absence Management Survey’ high levels of absence have been related to the third Monday in January of every year, which has been deemed ‘Blue Monday’.

Experts have called this period the most depressing day of the year, with more people expected to take this day off work than any other.

New Year’s resolutions

 Psychologist Cliff Arnall says various factors — ranging from; post-holiday blues, Christmas debt, failed New Year’s resolutions or just the bad weather are responsible for our blues.

During a live discussion in a local radio station, Pastor Joseph Njoroge noted that what goes on during the festive period put more demands on an individual.

He drew the example of a case in which a women committed suicide because the husband was not able to provide enough finances for them to travel up-country for Christmas. “Some, under peer pressure during this time buy what they did not budget for or not need because they saw it in their friend’s house,” he noted. 

Besides, this is the time when a number of marriages break as husbands would love to disappear for some time, leaving their wives struggling with the school fees.

Assisting an individual at work place becomes key in ensuring that the company keeps to its vision and mission.  “To avoid the January blues, it is wise for one to put aside some money, monthly to take care of the December holidays,” he of fered.

Bank accounts

 According to workplace Tribes Magazine writer Stephanie Reyes, the number of activities that stare at your bank account are enormous and want to be at every social function and buy a gift for everyone. For some, she says, the holidays are a painful reminder of bad events that happened in the past.

Either way, once the excitement and activity wane, these memories and the emotions associated with them can make coping difficult.

Holiday emotions

Besides, there is a lot of expenditure during the holiday season and the bills arrive in January, the same month school fees and rent ought to be cleared.

During this time, there is a lot of eating and drinking a lot over the holidays. Part of the post-holiday blues can likely be attributed to physical reactions caused by excess sugar and or alcohol.  “As an employer, there are things you can do to help employees deal with the post-holiday blues,” she advises.

Employers can offer information on how to spend wisely early before the holiday. This will enable employees have a better financial shape comes January and February.

“It may take a few days for employees to get back on track in January, so it’s best to modify expectations about how much work can be accomplished in the first couple of weeks back at work,” she advises employers.