Blue Monday 2023: What, When and Why. The meaning behind the so called most depressing day of the year
As a mental health charity Walk N Talk 4 Mental Health celebrates key mental health and wellbeing awareness days throughout the year to help raise awareness of mental health and well-being.
As a member of the Chamber of Commerce and part of the Andover Wellbeing Alliance they have shared findings on some of the key awareness days. Starting with Blue Monday, or as the Samaritans like to call it ‘Brew Monday’
Blue Monday 2023: What, When and Why. The meaning behind the so called most depressing day of the year
What
Blue Monday was named due to a combination of post-Christmas blues, dark cold nights and a stack of unpaid credit card bills.
The date was supposedly calculated using several factors, including weather conditions, increased debt, time since Christmas, time since failing our new year’s resolutions, low motivational levels and feeling the need to take action.
But is the idea rooted in science, and where did it first come from?
When
Blue Monday usually falls on the third Monday of every New Year, and is considered the most “depressing” day on the calendar. In 2023, that’s 16 January.
Why
The concept of ‘Blue Monday’ appears to have originated in 2005, in a press release from now defunct holiday company Sky Travel, who claimed to have had a formula to calculate the date.
The release claimed to have an equation which “allows us to work out the day with the highest ‘depression factor’ which you can then use as a focus for making things better, booking your holiday etc…”
However counter claims suggest that it combines things that have no quantifiable way of being combined. Debt level, time since Christmas, weather, motivation.
Whatever its beginnings, a lot of good has come of the date too.
In 2020, Samaritans handed out cups of tea at Edinburgh’s Waverley station to help morning commuters get through the day, encouraging them to share a cup of tea with someone in their office who may be feeling lonely. The event at Waverly was part of a national campaign against loneliness.
The charity is pushing for it to become known as ‘Brew Monday’, a day when connecting with others over a cuppa can help weather the ups and downs of life.
“All you need is a kettle and some mugs, and this could make a huge difference in someone’s life,” they say.
So whether it’s all a load of nonsense or not, Blue Monday at least shines a spotlight on loneliness, and gets people talking about mental health, even if only fleetingly.
At a time when it’s more important than ever to reach out, that can only be a good thing.
So, instead of letting Blue Monday get the better of you, why not do something nice for yourself and others, even if it’s just making a cuppa for someone and having a chat.
If you want to talk to someone at Walk N Talk or to join us on a walk please contact us
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