Brew Monday… or Brew Tuesday for us
Posted on Jan 16, 2024This morning’s group team meeting was around the issues of Blue (or Brew) Monday… or Brew Tuesday for us!
The third Monday in January is often referred to as Blue Monday – when we can feel depressed or stressed. Although this was originally a marketing gimmick from a travel company back in 2005, many companies have taken this as an opportunity to ‘touch base’ with their employees to ensure that all is well. You may have seen Blue Monday in the press yesterday or heard about the Samaritans great Brew Monday initiative.
We decided to go down the ‘Brew Monday’ route and sent out a variety of different teas for our team to enjoy, catch up and chat with each other in both the Manchester and Wolverhampton offices! Emily and Helen gave a joint presentation on what Brew Monday is all about, using some interesting facts and figures from work done by The Samaritans. For example, did you know that 25% of us in the UK will experience a mental health problem in a year, and approximately 14.1million adults say they feel lonely at least some of the time?
We all deal with things differently depending on personal circumstances and the severity of the issues. Some people cope with issues themselves, but others may benefit from more formal or professional help, such as counselling or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
Team members gave examples of what they do in stressful situations. These ranged from: Doing something outdoors – walking the dog, gardening, or going for a jog; using breathing techniques; doing puzzles such as sudoku or crosswords; reading or doing something ‘arty’ eg painting or using colouring books; engaging in an exercise activity such as doing a gym workout or a Zumba class. Two of the team said that they would clean the home vigorously to relieve stress.
Our CEO, Matt, ended the team meeting by saying to everyone “Every day, make sure that you make some time for yourself.” Well, a little ‘me time’ is always good in our book!
If you or a colleague are feeling depressed or stressed, help is available. Samaritans, MIND, and Shout have resources available if you need them.
What do you do to look after your mental health?