From dealing with short, dark days to the impending festive rush, we’re sharing tips for how to take care of your workplace wellbeing through the winter

Without a doubt, workplace wellbeing is something on a lot of people’s minds throughout the calendar year. But when winter rolls around, it can bring with it some additional challenges. From short, dark days that drain your energy to the looming festive rush – at this time of year, feeling well and happy while working may be something you need to put extra work into.

So, with that in mind, we’re exploring tips for dealing with common winter workplace woes and advice from psychotherapist Clare Patterson on what to do when you need more support.

Learn about the signs of SAD

Those short, dark days that we mentioned can really take their toll on our mental health and wellbeing – and if you find that your mood tends to drop around this time of year, you’re not alone.

Research from the Weather Channel and YouGov predicts that as many as 29% of adults will experience symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) over the winter. The experience of SAD will differ from person to person, and can range from a drop in mood to longer bouts of depression.

But alongside low mood, other symptoms of SAD can include: Fatigue, changes to your appetite, pessimism, trouble concentrating, burnout, irritability, and a lack of motivation. Read more in our guide to 10 symptoms you didn’t know could be SAD.

For some people, SAD can be treated with supplements (such as vitamin D supplements), and lifestyle changes that revolve around getting as much sunlight as possible throughout the day. For others, professional support may be needed. So if you think you may be struggling with SAD and would benefit from counselling or medication, speak to your GP.

Prepare for the festive rush

It seems to come around sooner every year, and it affects people working across all industries. You might find that your workload ramps up at this time of year, either as your industry caters to greater demand or you’re trying to work around festive closures and holidays.

On top of all that, Christmas can come with a lot of pressure at home, as well. You may be struggling to meet expectations, feeling the strain on your finances, navigating difficult family dynamics, and any other number of other complications that can come at this time of year.

All of this is to recognise that there can be a lot of our plates at Christmas (and, let’s be honest, the months running up to it). So consider putting a plan in place to support you during this time. It could be that you schedule in self-care activities regularly, or block off days or evenings to devote to rest and recuperation. You could have a conversation with your manager at work, to see if they could do anything to support you better over this period (follow our guide for how to talk about mental health at work), and also consider what things have to be done and what can wait until things calm down a little again.

It can also help to remember that this busy period will come to an end eventually. So why not make some plans for what you’re going to do with your time when the New Year comes around?

Try to identify what specifically is causing you problems

“Many people talk about a sense of ‘overwhelm’ or a general anxiety but what is specifically happening to cause this?” Asks psychotherapist Clare Patterson. “It can help to pay attention to how you feel when you’re at work, maybe catching yourself when you feel your mood dipping and looking at what the triggers might be.

“When you’ve done this (e.g. ‘I have too many emails to respond to.’ Or, ‘My boss isn’t listening to me.’) you can start taking practical steps to try and resolve the issues. Schedule a meeting with your manager or (if your organisation has one) your HR manager to discuss how you’re feeling and brainstorm ways to lighten or streamline your workload or rejig your responsibilities,” Clare continues. “Asking for help can feel difficult, especially if you feel your manager is already struggling themselves, but it’s important for the whole organisation that we prioritise our own mental health.”

Nurture your immune system to avoid winter bugs

As cold and flu seasons descend upon us, and all sorts of other nasty bugs are floating around, you may be thinking of some ways that you can boost your immune system to take care of your wellbeing.

Staying up to date with vaccines and taking caution around hygiene are the best ways to stay healthy through winter. But there are some other things you can try to give your immune system an extra boost.

Try to eat a varied diet, and make sure you keep your fluid levels up. Sleep is also important for staying well, so follow our guides to a good night’s sleep if this is something you’re struggling with.

Where you can, try to keep active and do some regular exercise – but be careful not to overdo it. A study, published in PubMed Central, suggests moderate to vigorous intensity exercise for 60 minutes or less is the most optimal approach for boosting your immune system. So, rather than pushing yourself to the limit in a HIIT workout, prioritise moderate exercise that raises your heart rate, but which you can still talk through.

Know when it’s time to take some time off

Sometimes, the one thing that can truly help you to recover from workplace stress is time off. Clare has some tips for making this call.

“If you feel consistently (for at least two weeks) that you are unable to focus or function effectively, it might be worth taking some time off to avoid complete burnout,” Clare says. She points to some signs that you are getting to this point:

  • An inability to sleep (or sleeping too much)
  • Change in appetite
  • Other physical symptoms (frequent headaches, stomach or muscle aches)
  • Regular ‘dissociation’ (not feeling you are present in the moment)

“It is worth going to your GP if you are experiencing these symptoms as they may prescribe you medication to help with some of the physical symptoms,” Clare explains. “They can also signpost you to other helpful resources, as well as recommend whether you should take time off work or not.”