For 19 years, the UK has been calling the third Monday in January “Blue Monday”. No, it’s not a celebration of the fantastic 80s electronic hit by New Order. Blue Monday is supposedly the most depressing day of the year.
What is Blue Monday?
A travel company created Blue Monday as part of a marketing and sales campaign in 2005. To help the company increase sales in January, psychologist Dr Cliff Arnell devised a formula to gauge the day of the year when humans feel at their bleakest and it is based on the weather, debt, salary, time since Christmas, failed resolutions, low motivation and the need to act.
Arnell’s formula calculates this day as the third Monday in January when the weather is at its worst, we’ve all received our Christmas credit card statements, we’re screaming for payday to arrive, the joys of the festive period have well and truly faded, our New Year resolutions have already fallen to the wayside, and we want to do something about it, but we can’t be bothered.
In essence, it’s all marketing rubbish, yet it’s still “a thing” almost twenty years later.
Blue Monday Nonsense
So, it’s all just part of a marketing stunt, and the science behind it is more than questionable, yet it still taps into deep-rooted feelings that many experience at this time of year. Seasonal Affective Disorder is real. I’ve mentioned SAD in a previous blog post, and according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, 3 in 100 people in the UK suffer from significant winter depression.
Brew Monday
To counter the negativity of Blue Monday and promote positive mental health, The Samaritans have created a campaign called Brew Monday. Brew Monday encourages people to forget Blue Monday and instead connect with family, friends, colleagues and loved ones over a cuppa.
Well, if tea is involved, then, of course, I’m in. A single date does not define mental health. We all have good days and bad days, and sometimes connections with others can make a big difference.
Making connections and listening is what’s important, whether you’re drinking tea, coffee or fruit juice. Working from home means I won’t be enjoying a communal brew, but I will go to Tai Chi this afternoon. What’s described as “meditation through movement” really helps me to reduce stress, plus I get to read while on the bus.
What do you do to help boost positive mental health? Let me know in the comments.
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