Recognizing Blue Monday! The third Monday in January is considered the most depressing day of the year. The holiday season is now over, we’ve made new year’s resolutions, and are back working hard trying to pay the bills and deal with the ever – increasing cost of living. We are still working our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic and many areas are working short staffed and fatigued – not to mention the grey weather, and the lack of light in the morning and in the evening. We also know that on any given year, one in five Canadians experience mental illness, and up to three percent of Canadians experience seasonal affective disorder.
It is important that we take care of ourselves and each other. In order to combat the feelings associated with Blue Monday, we can do a few simple things to help like getting the proper sleep, maintaining a healthy diet, getting daily exercise and sharing our thoughts and feelings with trusted friends and family. These are all simple things, but they can make a real difference in how we cope each and every day. Depression is real and your mental health is important. If you feel you don’t have anyone to talk to consider contacting the Employee Assistance Program. The EAP provides advice and support in the following areas and there is no cost:
• Emotional Health and Wellness
• Relationship Difficulties
• Bereavement, Grief and Loss
• Anxiety, Stress and Depression
• Work Related Stress
• Family/Parenting/Eldercare Issues
• Alcohol and Substance Abuse
• Work/Life Balance
• Legal and Financial Stress
• Life Transitions
See information on EAP (here).