Following the trend of naming days of the week to denote terrible events (Black Friday, anyone?), Blue Monday is the third Monday of January, famed for being the most depressing day of the year. There is very little scientific reasoning behind this of course, but once again we’re gearing ourselves up for one heck of a depress-fest.
The annual day of gloom was originally devised for a travel agency in 2005 by a man named Cliff Arnall, who looked at variables such as debt, time since the festive period, and weather, and he declared the third Monday in January as the most depressing day of the year.
So in preparation for the most duvet-day-worthy of days, here’re a few tips from your friends at JLife to help you banish the Blue Monday blues…
Turn your Mondays into Fridays
Whether or not there is a contested specific day in the year where we are all a bit sad, Mondays are usually the time of the week for people to fall into a pit of despair. So why not embrace Mondays and see them as an opportunity? Put aside an enjoyable task usually reserved for Fridays for the beginning of the week, or even, when saving your holidays for a long weekend, take the Monday rather than a Friday off this time and waltz in on a Tuesday refreshed and raring to go!
I’m Blue Da Ba Dee Da Ba Daa
It’s okay to be sad. Groundbreaking stuff here, guys. Let’s face it, mid-January IS a bit pants. It’s ages until pay day, you spent loads over Chanukah, the weather is freezing and we’ve all trudged back to work to start another year where we left off. The trick is let yourself be a bit sad but to not wallow; that’s what break-ups and Marley & Me is for.
Resolute Resolutions
Now is the time to really buckle under with those carefully thought-out plans for the new year version of you. After all, a Monday is the perfect day of the week to get back on that fitness plan, ditch the cigarettes or start saving.
Play ‘Blue Monday’ really loud
If air-drumming the intro to New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’ doesn’t help to improve your mood, then really who are you?
Ignore Blue Monday
Yep, easier said than done, especially since you’ve just read an entire blog about it (you’re welcome), but ignoring the myth of Blue Monday and focusing on positive thinking really is the best way to have the right start to your week. After all, Cliff Arnall himself has dismissed Blue Monday as hogwash, and a campaign to #StopBlueMonday appears to be taking hold year on year.