Like many, I am not a fan of Mondays. I recall one job where I dreaded the working week ahead, let alone the lengthy five day a week commute, which was normal at that time. Leaving for work in the dark and freezing January weather was deeply unpleasant, particularly as my husband languished in bed for two more hours most days – apparently this is what designers do, he said with a rather annoying entitlement!
So why is the third Monday in January considered the most depressing day of the year? The concept was created by a travel company in 2005. In the UK, we have short, cold, dull days; many of us tackling new year resolutions including new diets or dry January. We may have overspent at Christmas, and our summer holidays are many months away.
On top of that, this year feels more bleak than usual, both politically and professionally: I can hardly tolerate the news, and the sluggish recruitment market drags on! I’ve never seen such a slow market run on for such a long time in 18 years, making it even harder (or bluer), for those looking for a new role.
Blue Monday is associated with feelings of sadness, low energy, and low motivation. In my opinion, the best thing to overcome these negative thoughts is to forget about those unrealistic resolutions that make it all worse. Who wants to eat a salad when there’s a freezing fog and the dog needs a walk?
Coping comes down to self-care, making connections, making realistic goals (broken into steps), shifting your perspective to abundance where you can find it, going outside (less keen on this one) and playing your favourite music. The great thing is, these can all be practiced at no cost.
As someone who works from home and hates the cold, I have a little plan for this afternoon. I have booked my hair appointment for Blue Monday and will enter mousy brown and emerge shiny blonde after considerable time in foils. Find your thing and tell us about it.
Bring on Shiny Tuesday!
Virginia
