By Beverley Jones, of Awaken Coaching Ltd

Coming back to work after any holiday is often tough, seemingly more so at Christmas and seemingly more so for some employees than others.

There is no getting away from the fact that facing a new year can sometimes times be daunting.

As the decorations and the tree come down so can the mood.

For some SAD (Season Affective Disorder), can often add to the troubles.

In business it is recognised that no two employees are the same, so if you are faced with staff who are finding it harder to come back to work than others here are a few options which may help.

Watch out for signs in those who seem depressed and offer a one-to-one conversation to talk through it with them. Are they unhappy in their work? Has something happened over the festive season that has lowered their mood? Do they suffer from SAD, if so what can you do to help? Just knowing you have noticed and care enough to hold the conversation can often be enough to help lighten the day.

During the first week back plan and announce a team event to be held in the spring, this can be something simple like a quiz night, a charity day, a team building day or something similar that will give them something to look forward to.

Show you care by giving something back to your employees, this can be something simple like making a bowl of fruit available for them each week or set up a book swapping club.

Invest in having a quiet room in the office where staff can take their breaks away from phones, office chatter and computers. This room isn’t a canteen but somewhere where employees can go to sit and relax, decorate it in calming colours, have a shelf of books for them to choose from, have access in there to calming music.

Look into offering mindfulness sessions for the staff.

Mindfulness is becoming popular within businesses now as it is found to assist staff with stress and anxiety, helping them to become more productive.

A fortnightly group can make all the difference, attendance should be voluntary but you may be surprised how many attend.

Consider holding a staff party in January – if you have already had your staff party in December then this is for next year. However, if not January is a great time to have a get together as it gives the team something to look forward to at the beginning of the new year.

Ensure your business has information to hand in regard to organisations which can assist those who are suffering from depression, even if it seems like just the winter blues to you there are when it is more to the person concerned.

If you have an EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) in place ensure the details are sent out again at the start of every year and that the details are posted around the office.

If you do not have a programme in place then post up details for the Samaritan’s, Mind Cymru, Time to Change Wales, Gofal, Hafal - all these organisations plus many more are there to offer support and assistance, their details are easily accessed on the on the internet.

There is often fear around talking to those who come back to work feeling depressed but a conversation is all it can take to help lift the mood. Ask them the simple things:

Are you OK?

Is something troubling you?

Are you not happy in work?

What can we, as an employer do to help?

Can we assist in any way to get you some help?

Do you have any suggestions that could help lift your mood?

The most important things here to remember are:

Don’t make an issue of the situation by taking the person out of the office in front of everyone. Look at a way that you can speak to them via a conversation in a less formal way, suggest a chat over lunch or coffee.

Don’t be afraid of the answers and don’t try to come up with the answers for them. Be approachable and be open to how you can help, after all remember ‘communication is the best medication’.

Beverley Jones spent 30 years in the corporate world in senior management positions across the UK and Ireland. She crashed out of her career in 2009 with corporate burnout which led to depression and anxiety. In her work through Awaken Life Coaching, she works as a coach to assist others with mental health issues in the workplace to ensure the signs are recognised early, hopefully stopping complete burnout.