4 Ways to Help Your Team Overcome the Post-Holiday Blues

Another holiday season has come and gone, and although we've made it past the halfway mark of January, there’s a good possibility that people on your team (and yourself) may still be struggling with the after-holiday blues.

Overcoming the post-holiday blues at work doesn’t happen overnight. It may take days, or even weeks, after returning back to work to get out of the funk.

To help your team combat the post-holiday blues and seasonal depression, take advantage of these four tips.

Overcoming the post-holiday blues at your business

1. Give your team something to look forward to

Let’s face it—January can be a dull time for employees, especially if it’s your business’s slow season. To brighten up the workplace, you can boost productivity and motivate employees in the new year by giving your team a variety of activities to look forward to. Some ideas are:

• Host a team lunch or coffee break (make it virtual if working from home!)
• Have team-building events
• Organize a beginning-of-the-year prize raffle
• Bring in a surprise treat (doughnuts are always a win!)

When your team has something to look forward to, it will not only help boost their spirits, but will help your them reconnect and become stronger than ever. And in turn, it can help people become more productive, collaborative, and creative (talk about a win-win).

Keep in mind that you shouldn’t only be connecting with your team in January—it should be a year-round occurrence. Show your team some love throughout the year with different surprises (think food trucks, virtual events, etc.).

2. Get employees excited about the new year

A brand-new year means new opportunities and room for growth, right? Get everyone aligned with your goals, mission, and vision for the upcoming months with a kickoff meeting.

In the meeting, you can discuss things like:

• Milestones your team achieved in the previous year
• New goals
• Any changes in the upcoming months
• Strategies for the new year

Make the meeting as fun as possible and keep things positive. You can even bring in balloons, cake, and streamers. The beginning of the year is a time to celebrate your company’s successes and strategize ways to improve and grow.

3. Encourage self-care

Self-care in and out of the office is oh-so-important when it comes to an employee’s productivity. To promote self-care during these dreary winter days, encourage your team to:

• Have a strong work-life balance
• Get enough rest and sleep
• Take mental health days
• Drink plenty of water
• Find relaxation methods (e.g., hiking)
• Manage their stress in new ways (did somebody say yoga?)

You can also promote wellness and balance in your workplace by offering fun incentives like:

• Annual health and wellness challenge
• Gym memberships
• Company workout groups or classes (e.g., yoga)
• Additional PTO raffle

4. Celebrate wins

Giving your team plenty of recognition and appreciation is important. If they aren't hearing feedback, employees may wonder if they’re doing a poor job and may feel unappreciated. Don’t forget to celebrate wins with your team and express your gratitude.

Recognition can be as elaborate as an employee of the month program or as simple as giving team members handwritten thank-you notes. The opportunities are endless when it comes to recognizing and appreciating your employees.

While you celebrate wins, remember this: no accomplishment is too small to celebrate. So, be sure to shine the spotlight on the big and small wins for your team. Trust me, it can make a huge difference.