January 20, 2025, is being called “Blue Monday.” Not because it’s also National Cheese Lover’s Day, which may result in increased consumption of blue cheese. And not because it happens to be the day of the Presidential Inauguration this year, which may be a happy day for some but unhappy for others. No, it’s because back in 2005, a U.K. company called Sky Travel, began dubbing the third Monday of January each year as “Blue Monday.” This travel company claimed that this is the day each year when happiness levels go furthest South, meaning fall to the lowest levels of the year. So, the question is whether this claim was based on, you know, that thing called science.
Blue Monday Arose As A Marketing Gimmick
Well, surprise, surprise, not claims out there are based on real scientific evidence. Yes, shocking but true. Apparently, the company worked with a U.K.-based psychologist named Cliff Arnall to develop a “depression formula,” that goes like this: [W+(D-d)] x TQ divided by M x NA. All these D’s and other letters may make you go WTH. Well, in this formula, the W stands for the weather, D for your debt, d for your monthly salary, T for the time since Christmas, Q for the time since you failed quitting something that you attempted to quit, M for low motivational levels and NA for the need to take action. From this formula, they somehow landed on the third Monday of January as the worst day happiness-wise. But it’s unclear how that happened and what scientific evidence is behind this formula.
That’s because the primary motivation for identifying Blue Monday may have been, drum roll please, marketing rather than the advancement of science and health. Sky Travel was a travel company and not some type of scientific research institute. And heck, if you can convince everyone that the third Monday of each January will be the most depressing of the year, perhaps they’ll schedule a getaway vacation around that time. If you’d like to ask Sky Travel more about the origins of this Blue Monday claim, you’d be out of luck. Apparently, the sky’s not the limit for this company as the business shut down in 2010.
It also doesn’t make sense that one day should be particularly bad for everyone. Lots of happy things could happen on January 20. There’s the aforementioned National Cheese Lover’s Day, for example. So, if you like cheese, January 20 could be a particularly Gouda day for you, so to speak. Or you may be celebrating actor Rainn Wilson’s birthday if you are a fan of The Office or Rainn Wilson himself. Regardless, remember, no single day of the year is universally great for everyone or universally terrible for everyone—not even Presidential Inauguration Day.
The Dangers Of The Blue Monday Concept
In general, expecting a particular day to be especially good or especially bad for no clear reason may not be an especially wise thing to do. It could set up an expectations problem. Never underestimate the power of suggestion. Pessimism about a day could be a self-fulfilling prophecy, making you feel down and depressed. You could end up missing opportunities as well since you anticipate the day to be bad. Ultimately, unless you have a time machine or access to the Quantum Realm as Ant-Man does, no one can tell whether a particular day will end up being good or bad.
Moreover, this whole one-worst-day-of-the-year thing can end up oversimplifying and trivializing feelings and emotional states like depression, anxiety or the ups and downs that you would expect throughout the year. It could set up a “you should feel immediately better the next day” dynamic that again raises unrealistic expectations. For example, if January 20 is supposed to be the most down day, what if you feel even worse on January 21, January 22 or beyond?
Keep in mind that emotional and mental health are not like a Slanket. They are not one-size-fits all and instead, a lot more complex. I’ve written for Forbes about the need for more precision mental health, where assessments and treatments are better tailored to different people and their varying circumstances.
The Benefits Of The Blue Monday Concept
All of this being said, there is one potential big benefit of the Blue Monday concept. It may bring more attention to why January in general—rather than a particular day in January—may be especially tough for multiple reasons:
- The weather can be cold and unpleasant in the Northern Hemisphere. Few would say that they would rather not be able to feel their hands and face, with the possible exception of what the Weeknd referred to in that song. Plus, the more inclement weather can keep people cooped up in indoors, less able to enjoy the outside.
- The days can be short with less sunlight. And this can adversely affect melatonin secretion, which in turn can affect mood, energy and sleep patterns.
- Post-Holidays let down. After all the parties and whatever of the December Holidays and New Year’s Eve and Day, January can feel a bit empty of celebrations.
- Time for self-reflection. The arrival of the new year can force you to look more closely at your life. And you may not necessarily like what you see. That’s why people tend to make resolutions on or around New Year’s Day. For example, the use of dating apps tends to highest the first Sunday of each January, as I’ve covered for Psychology Today. Unfortunately, many of theseNew Year’s resolutions to fall by the wayside in January as well, which could be an additional downer.
All of this makes all of the January and not just a single day in January a prime month for seasonal affective disorder, which is also fittingly known as SAD. SAD is when one experiences depression during particular seasons, typically the Winter seasons, and affects about five percent of all adults in the U.S. for about 40 percent of the year, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Now, just because you don’t officially have SAD, doesn’t mean that you won’t have the Winter blues and vice-versa.
How To Combat The Winter Blues
Therefore, practicing self-care will be particularly important this month. That means making sure that you do the following:
- Expose yourself to sunlight.
- Get enough sleep
- Eat well.
- Exercise regularly.
- Avoid the use of drugs and alcohol.
- Stay connected with others.
- Consider professional help like a therapist if needed.
And keep things in perspective. Life is inherently uncertain. You never know what may be around the corner, good or bad. Remember what you may be experiencing or feeling on “Blue Monday” may not necessarily be the new order for the year or your life. Just because things are tough right now doesn’t guarantee that they will be tough in the future.
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