Blue Monday?
Lynne Bell听
听 听 听 听 听 听I write this on the third Monday in January, which in 2005, was christened 鈥淏lue Monday,鈥� complete with a mathematical formula designed to prove that it is, indeed, the most depressing day of the year. In fact, in 2016, it still makes newscasts, and even trends on Twitter with its own hashtag, #BlueMonday.
听听听听听听听听听听听 But is it? And how does one beat Blue Monday---or Blue January, for that matter.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Maybe it's time to examine the origins of Blue Monday and look at the math-which in itself is enough to make yours truly put her head under the covers until the math monster has passed....but I digress.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Anyhow, in 2005, a now-defunct travel company asked a British psychologist, Dr. Cliff Arnall, to determine what was the most depressing day of the year, as a marketing tool to encourage customers to book vacations with them.
听听听听听听听听听听听 According to Arnall's calculations, proving Blue Monday as the downer of all downers involves seven variables: (W) weather, (D) debt, (d) monthly pay, (T) time since Christmas, (Q) time since failing quitting-or any other New Year's resolution failure, (M) low motivational levels and (NA) need to take action.
听听听听听听听听听听听 And although Blue Monday seems to have achieved some staying power as a seasonal news story (guilty!) and as a marketing tool, since that fateful day in 2005, the good doc's reputation, the notion of one day being deemed most depressing, and the marketing math which was meant to prove Blue Monday's existence have received varying degrees of criticism which basically, calls shenanigans on the notion of Blue Monday.
听听听听听听听听听听听 As an Olympic-level whiner regarding winter's inevitable trials, I had something of an epiphany this year. Over a week ago, I was knocked out by a virus that I can only say would have the world's bad guys weeping and wailing and crying for their mommies if it was ever unleashed on them (a thought that cheers me greatly, by the way....).
听听听听听听听听听听听 This year's Blue Monday finds me happily back at my desk, surrounded by the lovely people who carried me through it on the work front-and celebrating the birthday of the lovely lady who kept the ginger ale and Gatorade in stock on the sickbed front. (Thanks, Mom!) And as corny as it sounds, I am thrilled to bundle up, scrape my windshield, start my car, and well, you get the idea.
听听听听听听听听听听听 I realize that there are people with problems that surpass the moaning and groaning that Blue Monday is meant to encourage and of course, I also realize that my little viral episode is trivial in the extreme.
听听听听听听听听听听听 But the experience reminded me how precious and perfectly imperfect all of our days can potentially be-even during the cold, broke days of January.
听听听听听听听听听听听 But please remind me that I'm not allowed to complain during freezing February!
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Blue Monday鈥� I think not
By Kelly Running
听听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听听Well, it鈥檚 official, Lynne is more up to date on hip trends than I am. While deciding what to discuss this week, she came into my office and simply said, 鈥淲hat about Blue Monday?鈥� Apparently it was trending on Twitter鈥� which I think I have an account, but have never really used it, however, Lynne is quite adept with social media.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Anyways, after asking Lynne what she was talking about, I agreed to the topic, which we thought should look at the winter blues in general. Which this winter has been as mild as mild gets I think and there are no complaints here, however it鈥檚 true that winters past have definitely gotten me down before.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 It鈥檚 true that the 鈥渉appy vitamin鈥� is Vitamin D and we get that from the sun, so with days being shorter in the winter we get less Vitamin D in our systems and feel a little more down than any other time of the year. Even in the winter it can be a completely miserable day, but if the sun is out then it鈥檚 not as bad as when it鈥檚 overcast and dreary. At least if it鈥檚 -47 with the wind chill and the sun is still shining, it鈥檚 somehow not too bad out.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 With this I must say the complex formula determining the third Monday in January as being the 鈥渕ost depressing day of the year鈥� has to be a hoax and a marketing plan, which a National Post article agrees with, 鈥淏lue Monday is nonsense鈥� by Rebecca Tucker.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 The day was determined by Sky Travel, who said that people should book a holiday so they can have something fun to look forward to in order to combat the blues. My one question to this is, if the equation to determine Blue Monday involves one鈥檚 debt, then how can purchasing a trip make you happy, wouldn鈥檛 that just add more stress because you鈥檙e adding more debt.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 My common sense however tells me that January isn鈥檛 really a time to be overly down. In my opinion I would have to say that something like a week before the Winter Solstice, of course on a Monday, would be the bluest of days.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Think about it, you either still need to find the perfect Christmas gift for someone or you鈥檙e looking at all the money you鈥檝e spent on Christmas with a pit in your stomach. Additionally it鈥檚 a Monday and let鈥檚 face it Mondays are always a little more difficult to get out of bed for. Then the days are still getting shorter until the Winter Solstice which means that it is literally one of the darkest days of the year and that means less vitamin D. All of that compounded in one day would stress me out I do believe.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 However, the third Monday in January or what has become known as Blue Monday, was just another Monday to me. I was actually extremely surprised when Lynne came in and told me it was the most depressing day of the year because it was a rather happy Monday for me. Lynne was back after being sick, I had all my work done for our deadline, and I had a volleyball game that night. It was a great day for me, so I had to laugh at the fact that it was Blue Monday.
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