Blue Monday Day – myth or fact? And how not to make it so.
Blue Monday is said to be the most depressing day of the year. It typically occurs on the third Monday in January.
It was invented in 2005 by a British holiday company, Sky Travel with a psychologist called Dr Cliff Arnall.
The research used some complex equations that looked at weather, debt, the end of Christmas, failed New Years resolutions, low moods and so on to determine how depressed people were.
Some academics call the findings of the study, pseudoscience as it is not based on science.
While many dismiss this study, January can be a kind of rude awakening to the new year. Coupled with the Monday feeling, many may really feel the blues.
There is however a psychology in giving a day a name as Blue Monday. The name brings an expectation which one can easily get into.
And this we must be vigilant to not get sucked into.
It is for this main reason that some Mental Health Charities challenge the concept of Blue Monday. Some even say such a day can be crucially misleading and trivialises depression as a serious disease.
Others say, and rightly so, depression can affect anyone any day. That it is not just a one day event. Just the same as any illness, really.
I believe, and these are my own personal thoughts, the jury is still out on Blue Monday.
Personally, I see it as an awareness day in the same way as say, World Arthritis Day. It does not mean that is the only day one is challenged with Arthritis. It depends on how you look at it
However, what if you find yourself really blue on this so-called Blue Monday?
How do we not make the third Monday your most depressing, listless or boring day?
Dont plan for it to be. You must first decide that regardless, it does not have to be the most depressing day for you.
The Bible actually says, we are what we think. So let us not create a depressing day, days, weeks in advance. It will only gravitate to you.
Pay day is round the corner! The long January is coming closer to pay day. That is if you get your salary monthly.
You can start planning how to.pay off those credit cards and expenses incurred in December and the Sales! The downward gradient is about to make a turn upwards!
The days are getting longer. Yes, you you may not have noticed…If you live in the Northern hemisphere especially, where the days were getting darker remember the shortest day was December 22.
By the third week in January, your day has been extended by about 32 minutes. It only gets better from here, I promise.
Also, a few more weeks, and we start to see the first blossoms of spring. Spring is in the air…well..not too far off!
Be sure still to check out our blog posts on Seasonal Affective Disorder SAD too. And stock up on Vitamin D supplements if you are in need of this vitamin.
Who says resolutions are only for the New Year? Whether you are for or against New Year resolutions, of you made some and failed, is it the end of the world?
You can make a resolution any day of the year. Keep trying. See a failed resolution as an experience. And at least you are better for it than not trying at all.
The fact you only went to the gym the first week and have not been since, hey! Tomorrow is another day. Arise! Shine!
Also you may need to re-assessyour resolutions
Get healthy. Stock up on your fruit and leafy greens. Depletion of iron makes us tired. Get active too.
Create awareness of depression. Use the day to talk about the realities of depression. That depression is really more than feeling blue. The more education and awareness the less stigma and discrimination.
And we can perhaps rename Blue Monday to Superhero Monday!
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