A bit of fun to start our working week! It is safe to say that we can all pretty much agree that Monday is not the most exciting day of a week, and it is always hard to get back into the swing of things at work after a nice relaxing weekend.
Today is labelled “Blue Monday” which is officially declared as the most depressing day of the year (unless you really didn’t grab that essential Black Friday purchase of course!)
I can’t help but think we are being a little harsh on the third Monday of January? Can we really automatically assume it to be the most depressing day of the year?
As with everything, it is simply a matter of perspective, but one thing is for sure, the media channels love to bring it to our attention every year, however, it is almost always in a negative light.
Why Blue Monday?
The third Monday of January has been awarded the gloomy title due to a combination of post-Christmas blues, cold dark nights and the unwanted arrival of credit card bills.
There’s scientific evidence
Apparently, a university professor managed to precisely calculate the most depressing day of the year, using the following formula:
Where weather=W, debt=d, time since Christmas=T, time since failing our new year’s resolutions=Q, low motivational levels=M and the feeling of a need to take action=Na. ‘D’ is not defined in the release, nor are units.
Supposedly the date was calculated by using many factors, including: weather conditions, debt level (the difference between debt accumulated and our ability to pay), time since Christmas, time since failing our new year’s resolutions, low motivational levels and feeling of a need to take action.
However, whilst this seems perfectly logical, Blue Monday was infact a creative PR stunt from Sky Travel to make us want to “get away” (Lunn Poly reference for those who remember!).
Countdown to payday
There is no denying that January is a dull and grey month, and yes pay day may seem like a lifetime ago, but there are ways of combating the Monday blues by focusing upon the things that can make us feel good so here’s some ideas to help you beat the blues:
- Get some exercise or a quick walk in before work – fresh air helps get the day started!
- Treat yourself to a coffee – yes we are watching the pennies but if you collect Costa/Mc Donalds/Starbucks points or tokens, you can get use your points in exchange for coffee (guilt free coffee!)
- Choose to smile – this changes your mindset!
- Wear something you love – it makes everything seem better! Never leave your favourite clothes “for best” life is too short
We all have bad days
If you are having a bad day, there is some comfort, you could think of all the things you are grateful for in your life; talk to a friend over a cuppa, write a list of things you are thankful for, read a book or take a lunchtime walk. Expressing gratitude is a great way to appreciate what you have instead of complaining about everything you don’t have.
Enjoy your day!
I don’t believe that there is a point of making a big deal out of Blue Monday, at the end of the day it is all about perspective; so go ahead, enjoy your day and don’t let the Blue Monday get you down.
Natalie Ellis HR 
Wow, this is actually the first time I’ve heard anything about “Blue Monday” but of course i don’t think its a surprise to anyone that the most depressing day of the year would be in January. The holidays are over with, the days are still unbelievably short, and not to mention fro most of us the weather is bitterly cold and unpleasant! The other factors that you point out, like the post holiday money crunch, certainly don’t help one bit.
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I couldn’t agree more but how clever is that marketing?! I have to admit I didn’t feel blue this January because work has been so busy so I always see it as a fresh start and positive month
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It’s pretty clever that Sky Travel thought this up to boos their post holiday sales, and seeing as we’re still talking about it in2020, it seems like it was a pretty successful sales campaign.
I’m not really one to try and make a holiday for everything like Hallmark, but I wonder if some elements of this would work well for other industries? Who else could benefit from a Blue Monday sale? I’m thinking maybe salons or spas, for starters.
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It’s a fantastic piece of marketing isn’t it? I’m the same as you but so many companies could benefit from selling feel good products and services! Perhaps I should do one for my business next year?!
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Those Blue Monday tips you mentioned are good for cheering yourself up every day 🙂 I was surprised how much my everyday mood improved once I committed to a few short workouts a week. It also helps me think better, and be more productive while I’m at work. I used to think that I didn’t have time to work out, but now I can see that I don’t have time to skip my workout.
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That’s great to hear and I’m pleased you enjoyed this blog, your perspective is such a good way of looking at things!
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