The third Monday in January is annually called “Blue Monday,” a concept that claims it is the most depressing day of the year.
This notion has gained such traction that this Monday it became a prominent trend on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
However, mental health charities have consistently criticized Blue Monday as a myth, arguing that it trivialises the complexities of depression.
What is Blue Monday?
Blue Monday is supposedly the “most depressing” day of the year due to the feelings of sadness felt a few weeks after Christmas, and many workers still have to wait another week until payday.
Other factors that supposedly make the day so miserable include the cold, gray weather and failure to keep New Year's resolutions.
January is actually a great time to make those big decisions for next year.
Psychologist Dr. Cliff Arnall, creator of Blue Monday
Where does the term come from?
In the words of mental health charity Mind UK, Blue Monday was coined by Welsh psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall in 2005 “to help a travel company sell summer holidays”.
In an article for Sky Travel, the psychologist developed a formula taking into account several factors, including weather conditions, debt levels, the number of days since Christmas and the time elapsed since New Year's resolutions to mark the third Monday in January.
However, Dr. Arnall himself has retracted these calculations and distanced himself from his conclusions.
In an interview with The Independent in 2018, he acknowledged that the day was riddled with negative connotations and said “that was never my intention.”
“Whether you're embarking on a new career, meeting new friends, taking up a new hobby or booking a new adventure, January is actually a great time to make those big decisions for the year ahead,” he added.
Why has Blue Monday generated criticism?
Several charities have sought to debunk the Blue Monday myth and criticized the term for minimizing the experiences of people who live with depression and other mental health problems every day.
“(Blue Monday) oversimplifies the complex nature of mental health challenges and risks trivializing the real emotions and feelings of sales,” mental health charity Samaritans posted on X on Monday.
“Life can be pretty hard without additional mental health stereotypes like this.”
Sonya Trivedy, executive director of external engagement at Samaritans, called Blue Monday “harmful” and “a load of rubbish.”
Our volunteers are busy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so the idea that there is a single “worst” day of the year is not only a load of rubbish, it is also harmful as it could deter people from seeking support when they really need it.
Sonya Trivedy, Samaritans
The charity's Brew Monday campaign, devised on the same day as Blue Monday to dispel the trend, encourages people to reach out to friends, family and strangers for a cup of tea.
“Our Brew Monday campaign aims to dispel the unhelpful 'Blue Monday' myth, because we know people can struggle any day of the year,” he said.
“Our volunteers are busy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so the idea that there is a 'worst' day of the year is not only a load of rubbish, it is also harmful as it could deter people from seeking support when they really need it.”
