January Blues
There are plenty of reasons to feel fed up in January. Christmas is over. It’s cold. Most people have returned to work or education. We need cheering up! Unfortunately, thanks to Blue Monday, what we get instead is a near constant reminder of how glum we should all be feeling.
Blue Monday is the name given to what is supposedly the most depressing day of the year. It always falls in late January and was invented in 2005 by the PR team behind holiday company Sky Travel, who coined the term in the hope that people would attempt to beat their blues by booking a summer holiday and giving themselves something to look forward to. There was even some vague science involved in ascribing the date on which Blue Monday fell, which involved the weather, motivation levels and the amount of Christmas debt that had been accrued.
Unsurprisingly, the equation used to determine the date was quickly debunked as nonsense but by then Blue Monday was part of the national consciousness. And it has become harder to avoid every year as more companies jump on the blue bandwagon. From holiday companies using it as justification to send out personalised emails, to restaurants attempting to entice people to cheer themselves up with two meals for the price of one, Blue Monday is basically Black Friday but with more dread.
There is no denying that January can be bleak and PR and advertising companies will ensure Blue Monday will be around for years to come. But surely, we need a bit more positivity in our lives? So, here’s a starter for ten…
- Blue Monday is over for another year
- If you have stuck to your New Year’s resolutions you’ve almost completed a month
- Dry January is almost over
Here’s to 2020 really getting started!
