Blue Monday – the most depressing day of the year?

Blue Monday, often touted as being the most depressing day of the year, has become something of an annual talking point and this year has been marked for Monday, January 16.

And whilst the ‘January blues’ is a common post-Christmas slump and back into the usual routine kind of thing, Blue Monday itself is a bit of a fallicy. In fact, there is no such thing as Blue Monday let alone an official most depressing day of the year (Blue Monday itself goes back to a holiday company PR campaign).

Yet whether you decide you want to buy into Blue Monday, or you are just struggling with the January blues or you just don’t feel as happy as you would like to, then what can you actually do about it?

The Most Depressing Day of The Year

There’s no doubt that many people find January to be the worst month of the year. Only yesterday a client told me how she hated the return to work after the fun of Christmas, the dark nights and the cold weather.

Of course many people are also affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder which can  affect energy levels, sleep patterns and well-being. Many other people struggle wiht depression which is much, much more that being depressed for one day of the year.

And there may be others who get caught up in the media frenzy that has become attached to Blue Monday being the most depressing day of the year and who, as a consequence, expect to feel depressed or low that day and consequently find it happens.

So whether you have a bit of the January Blues or haven’t quite got the zest back in your life then what can you do about it?

How To Combat Blue Monday and January Blues

If you want to ditch those blues and start feeling happier and better then apply some of these steps:

1) Plan For It – don’t just wait for something good to turn up, get busy and take action to plan it. Whether it is something that makes you feel good, something new you’ve always wanted to try or something you know you enjoy, do things everyday that make you smile and bring you fun.

2) Exercise – heck you may already be on New Year’s exercise kick yet make sure you are active every day, whether that is the gym, an exercise class, running or a brisk walk. Get out of the house and out in the daylight if you can. Your mind and body will thank you for it.

3) Get Enough Sleep – get into a positive sleeping routine and stick to it. After the lack of routine over the holidays and trying to get back into the more usual demands upon you, your energy levels can take a hit. So be sure to get into healthy sleep habits (if you are having trouble switching off at night then use my free Rapid Relaxation audio to help you).

4) Get Help – if you are concerned that you may be struggling with depression or you have any other concerns about your mental health then check in with your doctor or at least talk to a trusted friend or family member (and then consider seeing your GP too). Sometimes we get stuck inside our own thoughts and feelings and talking to someone can help us let it out and make things clearer.

5) Set your Focus – it can be easy to focus on only the negative or things that aren’t how we would want them to be (like the January weather and dark nights for example). Take a couple of minutes every morning to think of three things you are looking forward to that day and then at the end of every day think back on three things that went well or made you feel good or where you felt you achieved something. Doing this every day can have a dramatic impact on how good you feel.

And if you want to find out how to feel happier then check out this video from Natalia where she describes how she went from feeling stressed, anxious and unwell to being the happiest she can remember.

Blue Monday – the most depressing day?

So is Blue Monday the most depressing day of the year? The answer is a clear no. If you are feeling a bit low right now then follow some of the actions above and kick start feeling better. And if you are concerned that you may be struggling with your mental health then be sure to seek professional guidance and support.

To your success

Dan Regan

Hypnotherapy Ely, Newmarket, Skype

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