Turning the Blues into Breakthroughs
January blues are something that every one of us experience at some point, with Blue Monday being the culmination of this. The so-called ‘most depressing day of the year’ falls on the third Monday of January following a jolly festive period. This gives us time to reflect on the importance of mental well-being, both in our personal and working lives, and gives a space for us to discuss how we can maintain and improve this.
It can be a tough month with demanding deadlines, client expectations or project fatigue creeping up and demoralising you during the week. Tie this in with the post-holiday slump and early nights and this could start to build up against your mental well-being! Unfortunately, our working day can have an impact on our free time, so taking steps to care for your mental well-being both in and out of work will help you power through January and into the coming months.
First and foremost, your mental well-being is the priority and there are steps you can take to ensure this is prioritised and kept in high spirits. Setting healthy boundaries, both personally and professionally, is a great way to set out a beneficial routine, along with managing any stress that you are feeing by taking time to do things that you enjoy, such as hobbies or exercise. Whether within your work team, or through friends and family, it always benefits to stay connected to your support network. This could be going out for lunch with a colleague you like or meeting up with friends and family.
We asked people within Finyx how they keep themselves motivated on a client project and how to look after their mental health at the same time.
Motivating your team
Sam Howes, a Project Manager, highlighted a few ways to make sure his team feel motivated and happy in their role.
I personally find that empowering the team is a great way of ensuring that they remain motivated throughout the lifecycle of a project. From my experience, I find that people like to be learning and improving their skillset on every engagement so I try to make sure I delegate tasks that are a stretch for them and take them outside their comfort zone. That and some light-hearted, informal stand-ups throughout the week to help foster a safe, casual environment for them to perform!
Motivating yourself
Val Yuskevych, a Principal Consultant, uses the following techniques.
Before starting a task, I make sure I have a clear understanding of its purpose, the most effective medium to accomplish it, and the target audience (intent, content, audience). Knowing how my work fits into the overall picture and who it benefits is a significant source of motivation for me. With many of Finyx’s clients being in the public sector, our work has a potential to impact everyone in the UK. Keeping this in mind helps me pursue ordinary tasks with fire in the belly!
Oliver Whitehead, a Consultant, mentioned.
Eat the frog theory – identify the main points that you’re most likely to put off, and get them out of the way first, to get the ball rolling. I find that once I’ve got over the initial inertia, I’m motivated to keep going.
Joe White, an Analyst, makes sure to always follow the below.
Sunlight, fresh air and sandwiches helps me stay positive and motivated. Breaking up the day always makes it feel more manageable.
Karthigaa Gnanachandran, a Consultant, provided the following advice.
I spend some time in the morning, planning which tasks I need to complete for the day and ordering them in terms of priority. As I have more motivation during the start of the day, it helps to get rid of the most important tasks off my plate first. As I complete tasks, I will tick them off and I find ticking off tasks when I have completed them as satisfying and it motivates me to continue.
Alice Renton-Betts, a Consultant, highlights the importance of working with your energy levels in the following advice.
Being intentional in the kind of day I want to have – whether that’s a productive day filled with inspiration and confidence, or a relaxed day to recharge and tackle the low energy tasks. If I want to have a productive day, I get up earlier, make a to-do list, spend time on my appearance, and tick off some chores. If I’ve recently been working hard and need a more relaxed day, I sleep a little later, make a matcha latte and reflect on my recent accomplishments. As your energy naturally ebbs and flows, your motivation may too. Listening to your needs and making an intentional choice can ensure you always put your best self forward for your team (and yourself!).
Ben Piper, a Principal Consultant, builds on Alice’s points.
It’s easy to settle into routines and get bogged down by focusing on day-to-day activities. I frequently try to take a step back to look at the big picture and key objectives that our project is trying to achieve, which reminds me why I’m doing what I’m doing. This also helps me prioritise and how I can mix up tasks across my day / week to keep things fresh. Consciously accepting that my motivation will be stronger on some days than others means I can avoid putting too much pressure on myself, and gives me the energy to keep pushing forward.
Blue Monday at Finyx
At Finyx, we understand that mental well-being is the most important. Our Mental Health Champions regularly communicate to the business and make sure our workforce are supported. Our Mental Health Champions provide support, confidential by default, to anyone looking for help or just information or for anyone concerned about a colleague.
Through our partnership with YuLife, we also offer mental health support services including structured clinical counselling and career and life coaching to all employees.
What advice would you share to beat the Monday blues?