Blue Monday 2023

2023 - 1 - 15

Blue Monday

Post cover — Image courtesy of "HuffPost UK"

No, 'Blue Monday' Is Not Really The Saddest Day Of The Year (HuffPost UK)

Experts share their thoughts — and a warning — on the concept that the third Monday in January is the worst for people's mental health.

Dealing with ups and downs is a part of life, both experts stressed. These symptoms are in addition to the common depression symptoms, such as feeling stressed or anxious, low self-esteem and indecisiveness. According to Keith, the idea of Blue Monday resonates with people because it’s validating. The NHS has some recommended ways to treat “We want to explain it away — we want it to be tied to a moment in time that will pass instead of thinking this could go on for some time and we don’t know the source of it and we don’t know when it will end,” she said, adding that the deeper reasons for mental health struggles are much harder to come to terms with than just one sad day. Blue Monday is “not something that I think is a common concept in the mental health field, and I think one of the reasons is that there is not a lot of empirical-based research that focuses on that concept,” said Additionally, tying our emotions to a specific day takes some of the pressure off of our mental health, though that is not a good thing, Laing said. When you do that hard check, the answer is likely going to be no, which is going to make you feel pretty bad and could make you believe you’re dealing with a Blue Monday situation, she noted. People want to feel better this time of year, which is why they set New Year’s resolutions or are quick to book a relaxing vacation, but that doesn’t get to the root of the problem, Laing noted. They may know about Blue Monday and think it signals a time to take stock of whether goals have been met, resolutions are being followed and the post-holiday mood is in check, Lang said. [seasonal affective disorder](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-its-like-seasonal-depression_l_63851693e4b09a86b1b622a8) ― a very real mood disorder that impacts millions of people mainly in the winter ― “the thought in our field is that mental health problems and struggles are pretty consistent and spiking right now in our country over time.” Though the formula sounds fairly reasonable and January is definitely a bummer of a month, experts are wary about the legitimacy of Blue Monday and say there isn’t any data that backs up this claim.

Blue Monday 2023: What it is and top tips for surviving it in the ... (IamExpat in the Netherlands)

Apparently, the third Monday in January is the bleakest day of the year - but why? And when is Blue Monday 2023? Read on to find out all this and more!

And in that lies a new opportunity for something special to happen” - Michael Ely Looking for something small to brighten your day this Blue Monday? Finally, the “M” is low motivation, and "Na" is the feeling of a need to take action. Basically, take the day to do things that make you happy, and enjoy some much-needed me time. This year, that means that Blue Monday is on January 16, 2023. But it’s also a new day and a new week. But even more specifically, it has been calculated that one day, in particular, is the most depressing day in the whole calendar year, and this day has, rather aptly, been dubbed Blue Monday. Maybe go out for a walk together, play some board games, or cook a meal together. But what and when is Blue Monday, and what are some of the things you can do to help get yourself through the dark and dreary days in January? Here are some ideas. [lawyers and legal experts](https://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/dutch-lawyers-legal-services) have dubbed the day Divorce Monday on the basis that it is the most popular day of the year to start [divorce proceedings](https://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/family-kids/divorce-separation-netherlands). Why is Blue Monday the third Monday in January?

'Blue Monday' sparks mental health discussions in Saskatchewan (Globalnews.ca)

Blue Monday has become more of a conversation surrounding seasonal depression and mental health as a whole, rather than an exact day more people feel ...

In Saskatchewan, the weather has a big impact. “But there’s nothing about this particular day of the month that’s any different from the day before or after.” The Blue Monday concept surfaced in 2005 after a press release from British travel company, Sky Travel.

Blue Monday 2023: five books to lift your spirits on most depressing ... (NationalWorld)

It doesn't have to be 'Blue Monday', dubbed the most depressing day of the year - how about we make it 'Book Monday' instead?

[According to The Telegraph](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/5070874/Reading-can-help-reduce-stress.html), cognitive neuropsychologist Dr David Lewis from the University of Sussex revealed in findings from 2009 that reading is the best way to relax and even six minutes can be enough to reduce the stress levels by more than two thirds. [Roald Dahl Day: 8 best book to film adaptations of stories by children’s author - from Matilda to The BFG](/culture/roald-dahl-day-8-best-book-to-film-adaptations-of-stories-by-childrens-author-from-matilda-to-the-bfg-3842119) [Why do we celebrate World Book Day? [According to a 2021 study by The Lancet](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02143-7/fulltext#%20), there were an additional 76.2 million cases of anxiety disorders globally, an increase of 25%. Dean Burnett said himself that the date was a “non-phenomenon” and “pseudoscientific”. The psychologist was at the time a tutor at the Centre for Lifelong Learning, a further education centre attached to Cardiff University. Worse still, apparently the most depressing day of the year has arrived.

Blue Monday 2023: Is today Blue Monday, what is it and why is it the ... (Portsmouth News)

New year resolutions are starting to wear thin, making everyone feel disheartened and uninspired. The weather is cold and dreary and for many people, ...

WHY IS IT BELIEVED TO BE THE SADDEST DAY OF THE YEAR? BLUE Monday is thought to be one of the most depressing day of the year. Blue Monday 2023: Is today Blue Monday, what is it and why is it the saddest day of the year

Blue Monday Is The Saddest Day In January & Here's How To Beat ... (Narcity)

With the holidays over, limited daylight and gloomy weather, more people may be feeling depressed this time of year. The third Monday of the month is also ...

[741741](https://www.crisistextline.org/) 24 hours a day or [consult these additional resources](https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/NAMI-HelpLine/Top-HelpLine-Resources). but only about [2-3% in Canada.](https://cmha.bc.ca/documents/seasonal-affective-disorder-2/) You can also send a text message to In 2023, it falls on January 16. It affects about [5% of adults](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9293-seasonal-depression) in the U.S. [millions of people](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder) suffer from [Seasonal Affective Disorder](https://www.narcity.com/heres-why-seasonal-affective-disorder-makes-you-sad-in-winter-how-to-cope) (SAD) and many may not even know they have the condition. [SAD](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651) is a type of depression related to changes in season and begins and ends around the same time every year. That's real," Mak said. [CNN.](https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/18/health/blue-monday-2021-debunked-wellness-scli-gbr-intl/index.html) [In their ](https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/18/health/blue-monday-2021-debunked-wellness-scli-gbr-intl/index.html) [Blue Monday Survival Guide](https://camh.ca/en/camh-news-and-stories/blue-monday-survival-guide), the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) says the calculation was made based on a number of factors including ugly weather, a person's debt they accumulated over the holidays and disappointment over not keeping up with one's new year's resolutions. [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/18/health/blue-monday-2021-debunked-wellness-scli-gbr-intl/index.html), the term was created by psychologist Cliff Arnall in 2005 when a British travel company asked him for a formula for the gloomiest day of the year and when people would be most inclined to book a holiday. [weather](https://www.narcity.com/toronto/ontarios-january-weather-forecast-is-out-youll-want-a-snow-shovel-handy) is crummy and you may not get to see the sun as much as you'd like — a combination like that can leave anyone feeling blue. "We know that the lower levels of light exposure that we get in the winter months can cause a person to develop seasonal affective disorder or seasonal depression.