summer blues?

An intriguing article in The Guardian newspaper on mid-year burnout got me reflecting on my own mood rhythms throughout the year and how leaders perhaps need to take causes of these mood fluctuations into account when working with teams to manage stress levels. 

​It brought up a variety of theories as to why increasing numbers are feeling as though they’re exhausted in July/August, rather than relaxed as you’d expect coming into the holiday season.  Working too hard for too long, increasing demands made upon families increases stress. 

And of course there’s Brexit which appears to sit as a dark cloud over every activity whether that’s in the workplace or beyond with its accompanying never ending saga of leadership elections and leadership challenges in the political world.  How can leaders navigate all of this and keep their teams motivated?
 
I freely admit that I hate January.  When my coach (yes a coach does have a coach) asks in January what can be done to improve how I feel about the month, I say February.  It’s a recognised phenomenon (SAD) and there’s some evidence that there’s a partner SAD during the summer when too much sunlight reduces melatonin production, affecting the body’s circadian rhythm - on top of everything else!
 
What do we do then to counteract these mood depressive events?
 
I’ve found that as I’ve become more and more immersed in the Thinking Environment, taking it out to organisations, individuals, training and coaching,  I’ve been better able to monitor and regulate my own internal ‘mood clock.’  Even now the power of being in a Thinking Partnership delights and surprises me.   The ability to allow the brain to think uninterrupted about the many issues that surround us has a wonderful by-product of invigorating and relaxing the mind and body at the same time.
 
My clients and Thinking Partners, report this too.  The speed at which they have been able to resolve issues, the mood enhancer that lifts their spirits and the progress that’s made following a session makes them eager to book another.  
 
Maybe then we should be introducing a Thinking Environment into every workplace?  Train every leader to be a Thinking Partner? Encourage teams to take the skills into their social life too so that they come into work refreshed.
 
Is it time to dispel once and for all the mid-year burn-out?