Blue Monday By: Hannah Garrat, Clinical Intern
January can be an exceptionally tough month because the holiday excitement has died down and
reality has set in. This sudden shift from the holiday mode can feel like a huge letdown.
In a 2005 PR stunt, Sky Travel created the term Blue Monday. A psychologist by the name Dr.
Cliff Arnall, stated a formula that points to the third Monday in January being the gloomiest day
of the year. The formula calculates many things such as the weather, the probable level of debt
after the holidays, guiltiness about not sticking to new years resolutions and generally lower
motivation levels.
Seasonal Depressive Disorder, also known as SAD, may also play a role in Blue Monday. By the
middle of January it is cold, dark, and shorter days that can wear you down over time. Here is a
list of SAD symptoms to be aware of:
● A downturn in your mood
● Lethargic
● Irritable
● Loss of pleasure
● Lack of motivation
● Isolation Blue Monday and Seasonal Depressive Disorder
What are ways that you can prepare yourself for January and celebrate the month?
1. Give yourself permission to feel what you’re feeling
2. Take a pause and ask yourself what is triggering you to feel down
3. Check in on mental health and seek professional help if needed
4. Adjust your mindset
5. Open the blinds and let the sunlight in
6. Increase Vitamin D levels
7. Keep moving
8. Reframe your New Year’s resolutions
9. Avoid activities that make you feel worse
10. Eat well
11. Clear clutter
12. Make Blue Monday fun-go out to breakfast, do something a little out of the ordinary or
see a friend!
Your mindset controls how your Blue Monday looks and how your January goes! Need help
figuring out how to change your mindset? We would love to hear from you! Give us a call at
847-854-4333 for a free 15-mniute consultation