You have the power to choose another colour: Reflecting on ‘Blue Monday’
The term Blue Monday was coined by Sky Travel to the third Monday in January as they considered it to be the most depressing day of the year. This date was not randomly chosen, they calculated it based on debt level, time since Christmas, time since New Year’s resolutions have been broken, motivational levels and weather!
Although, this data only applies to countries located in the northern hemisphere, if you live in a country in the southern hemisphere, you might have heard of the term ‘January disease’. An informal term used to convey the same melancholic feeling as Blue Monday, throughout the month of January.
It might be that during this time of the year, where the holiday cheer has passed and the winter feels like it’s at its peak (at least in the UK!) you feel like there is not a lot to look forward to; just work, endless to-do lists and bills.
However, do not despair, there is good news in all of this! The reality is that you have the power to choose to not settle with this sad day prediction and bring some cheer back into yours and others lives. If it helps you think of it a different way, you could even give this Monday another name. Maybe it will be a very Marvelous Monday, or if you want to stick with colours, why not a Yellow Monday? That way if the sun isn’t a lovely shining yellow, at least your Monday is!
Our free will is a powerful tool when used correctly, and there are things that you can do to take yourself out of a ‘back to routine’ slump and also to help others to do the same.
It’s important to deal with Blue Monday as you can just as easily have a Blue Tuesday, Blue Wednesday and so on… and your “blueness” can unfortunately be contagious!
Here are some tips to beat Blue Monday:
- Move, move, move!
If you can and are able, add some sort of movement throughout your day. A little movement and exercise goes along way. It is a well-known fact that physical activity can significantly improve mental well-being. This is because when we exercise our body releases “feel-good” hormones (endorphins) and they give us a natural and free-of-charge mood boost. If you are not into exercise, try adding some kind of fun movement into your day. Why not play your favourite song and dance to it whilst getting ready in the morning? Or maybe you can do some stretches after getting home from work?
- Call on a friend
Laughing, hanging out and talking to our friends can do wonders to our mood. Especially, if you are finding it hard to do anything else other than work during your weekdays. Making an effort to reach out to our friends and family (even if it’s virtually) can help us enormously. Furthermore, as you reach out to others you might find out they are going through similar things, and you can help and support each other.
- Remember your dreams
According to a survey by You Gov., in the UK, around 50% of people make New Year’s resolutions, and where there is a will, there is a way!
Starting a new year is an incredible ‘new beginning’ to mark our fresh goals and dreams. However, this does not mean that if you have not stuck to your goals thus far, that it is over for you. If you are reading this on Blue Monday, there’s only been three weeks in 2025! Give yourself some grace and a chance to keep going. If you have made some resolutions, it means getting there is important to you and it is worth being disciplined about it, even it if means starting again. Why not break them down into smaller chunks? So, if you are wanting to lose weight- why not make it a pound a week rather than a stone in 3 months. That way you can keep yourself on track.
And last, but not least, choose your own colour.
Remember, Blue Monday is a concept, not a rule. If you are feeling low, it is okay, and there is always hope for tomorrow. However, you need to choose to do things that will lift your mood.
And if you don’t feel blue- remember, this is researched based, - so why not reach out to your friends anyway? They may be feeling blue and you might be just the person to change their blue to purple. Or orange. Or green.
And very soon, the sun will shine, the birds will sing, spring will come, and with it, joy!