Shedding Light on the Winter Blues
BC Division of the Canadian Mental Health Association offers tips to employers on combatting seasonal low mood in the workplace
The festivities of the holidays are over and now it’s back to work in cold, grey days. The year’s most depressing day—the Third Monday in January—is also looming, when holiday shopping bills start arrive, New Year’s resolutions go out the window and we’re stuck in the middle of winter. Employers noticing a drop in productivity though, will find something to smile about in the Winter Blues thanks to these tips from the British Columbia Division of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). Around 15% of Canadians feel the winter blues, including workers. This winter, CMHA BC Division is equipping workplaces with strategies to counteract the “winter blues,” a phenomenon that, according to research*, leads to diminished performance on the job, strained relationships and absenteeism.
“Fewer hours of daylight and lower temperatures, combined with the seasonal onslaught of rain and snow, can impact employees’ moods and motivation,” explains Bev Gutray, Executive Director of CMHA’s BC Division. “Employers can safeguard against these drops by enabling employees to identify and control the impact of the winter blues.”
CMHA, BC Division offers the following suggestions on combatting the winter blues at work:
- Bring in the light, and take it outside: Provide exposure to natural daylight in the workplace. When this is not possible, ensure adequate provision of bright, fluorescent lighting (cool white, warm white) with ultraviolet screens as it produces light similar in colour composition to outdoor daylight. On sunny days, encourage employees to take time to go outside during their lunch and breaks. Even a few minutes of sunlight helps improve mood and energy levels.
- Get active: Exercise is known to boost feel-good chemicals in the brain, and help reduce negative effects of stress that can trigger the blues. Encourage employees to incorporate physical activity into their daily routine, whether by organizing an office team, or by subsidizing gym memberships. Even just walking outside helps with that essential, quick mind break that we all need.
- Look for healthier office snacks: Whether catered meetings or snacks around the workplace, helping employees to choose the right foods more often and more easily can provide that slow-burning energy that keeps mood and energy levels steady and irritability away. Certain kinds of nuts, fish, fruits and vegetables also contain fatty acids that are good for both mind and body.
- Remember the water cooler: Not only is water great for replenishing brain cells, but is often the place where officemates can talk and connect about work, about stresses, and about each others’ lives. Social support is important in building resilience to any kind of mental health trouble, so encourage connectedness and team-building.
- Advocate for education: Provide opportunities for lunch and learns to share with employees what the winter blues are, and how they can be controlled. Remind employees to contact their employee and family assistance program (EFAP) for further support if low mood starts to interfere with work or daily life.
- Allow flexible scheduling: Consider implementing ‘winter flexible working’ by allowing staff to work additional hours on their lunch break, in the morning or late afternoon so they can leave early on a Friday
When it’s more than the blues…
For some people—about 2-3% of Canadians—the winter blues are more serious and may be a sign of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression with a seasonal pattern. SAD is particularly prevalent in northern latitudes.**
According to the CMHA, healthy lifestyle changes like exercise, relaxation, healthful diet and a supportive workplace can help to reduce the effects of the winter blues, and ultimately help prevent or reduce the impact of SAD.
*research undertaken by the Mayo Clinic and by Norman E. Rosenthal
**Studies show that people who experience SAD report reduced energy levels, and often still go to work yet produce less; a costly corporate phenomenon called presenteeism. Left untreated, presenteeism may further develop into short term or long term disability claims for those employees unable to cope in the workplace. It's important that employers develop strategies to address mental health issues such as SAD, while they are still manageable, and to refer employees to support systems such as EAP or to their local CMHA office.
Research on SAD is still in its early stages; however, SAD is likely caused by a lack of daylight. Northern regions receive fewer daylight hours than their southern counterparts, and so are likely to present higher incidences of SAD. Additionally, internal biological clocks respond to seasonal changes in day length, putting people at risk for SAD.
For more information and interviews:
Almira Bardai
AVID Communications
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