Bach Flower Advice

7 reasons why you shouldn’t be blue this Blue Monday

7 reasons why you shouldn’t be blue this Blue Monday

January has a rap as the most depressing month of the year. It comes straight after December after all and that’s a hard act to follow. December is a month of glitter and pizzazz, food and drink, parties and presents, new clothes, Christmas hair and people, people, people. Come January 2nd, we’re all feeling partied out, our sparkle has fizzled out, our bank accounts are empty, the weather in the northern hemisphere is cold and miserable, and we’re feeling fat and frumpy. It’s therefore no surprise to learn that the day marked as the most miserable day of the entire year has been pronounced as the third Monday in January.

In 2018 Blue Monday, as it is known, is set to fall tomorrow on 15th January. Prepare to be dejected and downcast. Abandon hope, take to your bed, and pull the quilt up to your chin. All is lost.

But wait!

Let’s take a closer look at January and readjust our thinking, shall we?

The Blue Monday idea is mumbo jumbo

If you take a closer look at how Blue Monday came about you will find that it is a load of old bunkum. The notion of the most depressing day of the year originated in a press release in 2005, by a holiday company called Sky Travel. They claimed to have calculated the date using an equation that basically factored in:

  • Weather conditions
  • Level of individual debt
  • The time elapsed since Christmas
  • Low motivation
  • Time elapsed since New Year resolutions were made (with the implication we have failed to keep them)

The press release claimed to have academic backing, but this has mostly been rejected in the intervening years, with the formula used described as nonsensical, and the whole thing pronounced ‘pseudoscience’ of the worst kind.

So that, really is all you need to know to dismiss the notion of the most miserable day of the year from your mind. Let’s look at how we can turn Blue Monday into Brilliant Monday.

How to turn Blue Monday into Brilliant Monday

1. The year is still young

If you’ve made your resolutions and broken them already, so what? The year is still brand spanking new! You still have an amazing 350 days in which to put all your plans into action and make a real difference to your world, or somebody else’s. There is no way you can give up, just 15 days into 2018. Pick yourself up, dust yourself down, you’ve got this!

2. January is a beautiful month

In January when the world is so bare and stark, you see the earth so very differently. I challenge you this 15th January to take a walk and really look at the difference. See the animals that are still hanging around, and foraging for food? See the trees and bushes, shed clean of their foliage and biding their time before they burst into bloom once more? Often in January, we have bright blue skies, sharp white clouds, deep frosts, or flurries of snow. For many of us, that’s different and therefore exciting. Go for walks, take photos, play outside, paint landscapes. Mark the difference in the season!

3. Cosy up

Another reason to love January is its very cosiness. A few weeks ago you probably received presents from your nearest and dearest. Have you put them away? Saved them for later, or for best? Now is the best time. Get them out and indulge yourself in the socks and scarves, the toiletries and the wine. This 15th January, turn Blue Monday into Brilliant Monday by donning your cosiest warmest pyjamas, wrapping yourself in a snuggly blanket, and putting your feet up after work. Light a fire, watch a film, eat the chocolates, read a book, listen to your new music. Yes, it’s cold outside, but there’s no excuse for making yourself miserable when you are surrounded by indulgent things.

4. December wasn’t that great

I often think that people are miserable in January because they are missing the excitement of December. I can never understand that. December is stressful – it’s all rush, rush, rush. Party here, family gathering there. There are deadlines to hit at work before the end of the year. There is rich food and too much sugar. There is a sense of expectancy followed by disappointment. There is a desire to constantly outdo the previous year. This can be soul-destroying.

So this Blue Monday, take the time to enjoy the calm and the peace and quiet. If you like to be alone, be alone. Enjoy the lack of expectation, and if it your desire, book the day off work and do precisely nothing. Because on Brilliant Monday, what you want, goes!

If nothing else, rejoice that next Christmas is a long way, away!

5. Look to the light

The shortest day, the winter solstice occurs on the 21st December. By the 15th January, there will be incremental increases in daylight every day. Summer is on its way.

6. Find your creativity

Now that the festive season is behind us, we actually have time to do the crafty or arty things we’ve always wanted to. You can start small and just have a dabble. No-one needs to see what you do, it’s yours and yours alone. This Blue Monday, buy some cheap paints, dust off your sewing machine, open that word document, or load up that YouTube video on playing the trombone.

7. January is the opening chapter of your 2018 book

You can have a few weeks’ grace in order to plot the year, but you should use Brilliant Monday to really get going on a new narrative for the year. Imagine you could do anything you wanted or be anything you wanted, or look any way you chose, what would you do? See how much of that you can achieve, month by month, starting from Blue Monday.

Good luck, and let us know how your Brilliant Monday turned out!

Created by Tom Vermeersch

Tom Vermeersch

Tom Vermeersch is a certified Psychologist and Bach flower expert with more than 30 years of experience.

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7 reasons why you shouldn’t be blue this Blue Monday

7 reasons why you shouldn’t be blue this Blue Monday
7 reasons why you shouldn’t be blue this Blue Monday

January has a rap as the most depressing month of the year. It comes straight after December after all and that’s a hard act to follow. December is a month of glitter and pizzazz, food and drink, parties and presents, new clothes, Christmas hair and people, people, people. Come January 2nd, we’re all feeling partied out, our sparkle has fizzled out, our bank accounts are empty, the weather in the northern hemisphere is cold and miserable, and we’re feeling fat and frumpy. It’s therefore no surprise to learn that the day marked as the most miserable day of the entire year has been pronounced as the third Monday in January.

In 2018 Blue Monday, as it is known, is set to fall tomorrow on 15th January. Prepare to be dejected and downcast. Abandon hope, take to your bed, and pull the quilt up to your chin. All is lost.

But wait!

Let’s take a closer look at January and readjust our thinking, shall we?

The Blue Monday idea is mumbo jumbo

If you take a closer look at how Blue Monday came about you will find that it is a load of old bunkum. The notion of the most depressing day of the year originated in a press release in 2005, by a holiday company called Sky Travel. They claimed to have calculated the date using an equation that basically factored in:

  • Weather conditions
  • Level of individual debt
  • The time elapsed since Christmas
  • Low motivation
  • Time elapsed since New Year resolutions were made (with the implication we have failed to keep them)

The press release claimed to have academic backing, but this has mostly been rejected in the intervening years, with the formula used described as nonsensical, and the whole thing pronounced ‘pseudoscience’ of the worst kind.

So that, really is all you need to know to dismiss the notion of the most miserable day of the year from your mind. Let’s look at how we can turn Blue Monday into Brilliant Monday.

How to turn Blue Monday into Brilliant Monday

1. The year is still young

If you’ve made your resolutions and broken them already, so what? The year is still brand spanking new! You still have an amazing 350 days in which to put all your plans into action and make a real difference to your world, or somebody else’s. There is no way you can give up, just 15 days into 2018. Pick yourself up, dust yourself down, you’ve got this!

2. January is a beautiful month

In January when the world is so bare and stark, you see the earth so very differently. I challenge you this 15th January to take a walk and really look at the difference. See the animals that are still hanging around, and foraging for food? See the trees and bushes, shed clean of their foliage and biding their time before they burst into bloom once more? Often in January, we have bright blue skies, sharp white clouds, deep frosts, or flurries of snow. For many of us, that’s different and therefore exciting. Go for walks, take photos, play outside, paint landscapes. Mark the difference in the season!

3. Cosy up

Another reason to love January is its very cosiness. A few weeks ago you probably received presents from your nearest and dearest. Have you put them away? Saved them for later, or for best? Now is the best time. Get them out and indulge yourself in the socks and scarves, the toiletries and the wine. This 15th January, turn Blue Monday into Brilliant Monday by donning your cosiest warmest pyjamas, wrapping yourself in a snuggly blanket, and putting your feet up after work. Light a fire, watch a film, eat the chocolates, read a book, listen to your new music. Yes, it’s cold outside, but there’s no excuse for making yourself miserable when you are surrounded by indulgent things.

4. December wasn’t that great

I often think that people are miserable in January because they are missing the excitement of December. I can never understand that. December is stressful – it’s all rush, rush, rush. Party here, family gathering there. There are deadlines to hit at work before the end of the year. There is rich food and too much sugar. There is a sense of expectancy followed by disappointment. There is a desire to constantly outdo the previous year. This can be soul-destroying.

So this Blue Monday, take the time to enjoy the calm and the peace and quiet. If you like to be alone, be alone. Enjoy the lack of expectation, and if it your desire, book the day off work and do precisely nothing. Because on Brilliant Monday, what you want, goes!

If nothing else, rejoice that next Christmas is a long way, away!

5. Look to the light

The shortest day, the winter solstice occurs on the 21st December. By the 15th January, there will be incremental increases in daylight every day. Summer is on its way.

6. Find your creativity

Now that the festive season is behind us, we actually have time to do the crafty or arty things we’ve always wanted to. You can start small and just have a dabble. No-one needs to see what you do, it’s yours and yours alone. This Blue Monday, buy some cheap paints, dust off your sewing machine, open that word document, or load up that YouTube video on playing the trombone.

7. January is the opening chapter of your 2018 book

You can have a few weeks’ grace in order to plot the year, but you should use Brilliant Monday to really get going on a new narrative for the year. Imagine you could do anything you wanted or be anything you wanted, or look any way you chose, what would you do? See how much of that you can achieve, month by month, starting from Blue Monday.

Good luck, and let us know how your Brilliant Monday turned out!


Marie Pure

Other articles


Signs you're slipping into a burn-out

Signs you're slipping into a burn-out

Learn how to recognise the signs of stress and avoid slipping into a burnout or a bore-out

Read the complete article

Do you think too much Or too little

Do you think too much? Or too little?

Feel like you overthink too much? Having a hard time making decisions? Or feel like you don’t consider your options enough? Find out how to strike a balance.

Read the complete article

Do you expect too much from others

Do you expect too much from others?

Do you expect more from others than they are prepared to give? Signs that you may be asking too much - and how to break the pattern.

Read the complete article

Isn't depression just a fancy word for feeling a bit down

Isn't depression just a fancy word for feeling a bit down?

Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety affect around 1 in 6 people at some stage of their life. Despite it being such a common problem, many sufferers wait months or even years before seeking help.

Read the complete article

Simple tips to not be afraid of the future

Simple tips to not be afraid of the future

No one knows what the future holds, so don't waste time and energy worrying about it. Read our tips and find out how to stop being afraid of what might never happen.

Read the complete article

What can you do if your kid doesn't want to go back to school

What can you do if your kid doesn't want to go back to school?

What can you do if your kid doesn't want to go back to school? Here are our hints and tips to help if your child is expressing a refusal to go to school.

Read the complete article

goede-voornemens

A new year, a new me

It’s such a positive thing to do and hope springs eternal, so why not commit yourself to a change this year? Here’s our tips on how to stick to your new year’s resolutions.

Read the complete article

Let's make 2021 better than 2020

Let's make 2021 better than 2020

For many people, 2020 has been one of the worst years they can remember. The COVID -19 pandemic and social unrest have changed our lives in ways we would not have believed possible a year ago. And when January 2021 comes around, we're still likely to be facing many challenges. Can 2021 be a better year?

Read the complete article

Signs of depression under the radar

Signs of depression under the radar

It is not always obvious when someone is experiencing depression. Some people with depression mask their symptoms, hiding their feelings behind a smile to convince others they are happy.

Read the complete article

What makes it so hard to go back to work

What makes it so hard to go back to work?

Millions of people furloughed for months are now being recalled to work. Others, who have been working from home throughout the lockdown, are returning to the office. And some jobs have simply disappeared: many people are facing redundancy and will soon have to cope with job hunting. Going back to work after an unprecedented length of time at home is quite a challenge.

Read the complete article

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