Jodie Vanderslot | Health Editor
Featured image: Have you experienced Blue Monday? | Courtesy of Pexels
There’s no real scientific data to legitimize it, but there is a pseudo-mathematical formula to back up the most depressing day of the year. So here it is—this coming Monday, January 15, has been deemed to be a particularly distressing and gloomy day. Here’s why:
Blue Monday usually takes place on the third Monday of a new year, due to a combination of unfavourable weather, debt, the amount of time since and until Christmas, the time since failing one’s new year’s resolutions, low motivation, and feelings of helplessness.
In introducing the concept for the holiday, Dr. Cliff Arnall theorized the Blue Monday formula more than a decade ago: [W + (D-d)] x T^Q} ÷ [M x N_a], with ‘W’ standing for weather, ‘D’ standing for debt, ‘d’ standing for monthly salary, ‘M’ for motivational levels, and ‘N_a’ standing for the feeling of a need to take action.
The weather does have an influence on one’s mood and mental health during the winter months due to Daylight Savings Time, resulting in disorders such as Seasonal Affective Disorder. Vitamin D levels are at a low, and the decrease in daylight hours often leave individuals feeling low in mood, somber, and generally unmotivated. Debt is sinking in as the holiday bills are rolling in, and individuals experience lower funds in their bank account, usually as a result of the holidays, which, after December, are few and far between. As a result of the weather bringing down your mood and the aftermath of the holidays, people are also struggling with their weight. It may have already been a resolution to maintain and tackle your weight, but usually by the third week of January, resolutions have slowly tired out. The motivation and excitement about resolutions and new beginnings are over for many, and for those who haven’t reached their goals, it’s just one more reason people feel stuck.
This combination of factors can put a damper on anyone’s mood, or it could be a self-fulfilling prophecy. The first Blue Monday fell 13 years ago, on January 24, 2005. Originally conceived by Arnell with the help of a now-former public relations company, Sky Travel, it has now become a wide-spread annual event.
While bad days and the Monday blues are common, those experiencing these feelings for extended periods of time are encouraged to seek help. For those living with depression, emotions are not dictated by the date.
However, if you find yourself fighting the infamous Blue Monday, you can beat the winter blues in a few easy ways. It might be the day to hunker down and binge your favourite movies and shows, but it can also be the day to reboot your resolutions, chase the sun, and stay warm.
Happy Blue Monday!
