Blue Monday: Is it the ‘most depressing day’ of the year?
Did you know that on Monday 16th January it’s Blue Monday?
What’s ‘Blue Monday’, I hear you ask. Well, the theory goes that this time of year we experience low mood – it’s cold, it’s dark, we’re riddled with guilt due to our failed New Year Resolutions. Blue Monday is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year. Even just reading this, perhaps you feel a little lower than you did before.
But maybe Blue Monday is just a concept - maybe it’s not real.
Where did Blue Monday come from?
Blue Monday has been around since 2005 when the UK travel company- Sky Travel revealed in a press release that this was the day that most people feel at their lowest, having calculated the date through an "equation". It takes into account weather conditions and thus only applies to the Northern Hemisphere.
Is Blue Monday really the most depressing day of the year?
Some may say that this is excellent marketing from Sky Travel, it has gone far and wide. People now let Blue Monday dictate how they feel on the third Monday in January each year. But scientists have dismissed the idea of Blue Monday as baseless pseudoscience.
This year, why not decide that you won’t let a Travel Company determine how you feel. At Pause & Breathe, we’re inviting you to take control this January, especially on Blue Monday. To help you do this, we have listed our top tips to inspire you to take action and make this January the best one yet:
Practice gratitude - write down five things you are grateful for each day. When you focus on what you do have rather than what you don't have or what went wrong, you will experience more positive emotions.
Go for a walk. The more fresh air you get, the more oxygen you will breathe, increasing the serotonin (the happy hormone) you inhale, consequently making you happier.
Write it down - Journaling is good for you physically, mentally, and emotionally. Get it off your chest.
Practice mindfulness - Sit silently, pay attention to your thoughts, sounds, the sensations of your breathing and parts of the body. Focus on being present rather than what has happened in the past – or what might (or might not) happen in the future. Bring your attention back whenever the mind starts to wander.
Surround yourself with like-minded people - If you are not a member of our online community, sign up today for free. It is a community filled with the most incredible people.
As you finish reading this blog, we want you to remember this… Ignore the hype and don’t let a clever marketing trick dictate how you feel. Our feelings are our own, and we can feel happy or sad on any day of the year. Take today as a new day and enjoy it.