The Blue Monday low peak isn’t real, but the seasonal blues are. Here’s what to do about them

In 2005, the now defunct British television channel Sky Travel sent journalists an enthusiastic promotional ad which, with the help of a psychologist, had calculated the most miserable day of the year.

The formula was meant to analyze when people booked vacations, assuming people were more likely to buy a ticket to heaven when they felt bad. Arnall was asked to find the best day to book a vacation trip, so he thought about the reasons people might want to take a vacation – and so, the darkest day of the year was born.

“There is usually more sadness in winter and January is not at all rare for more sadness among people,” said Dr. Ravi Shah, psychiatrist at Irving Medical Center at Columbia University in New York City. “So rather than logging into a specific day, I think the more interesting question is what affects our mood about winter.”

Blue Monday is not scientifically valid

Arnall’s formula sounds like it: [W+(D-d)]xTQ / MxNA. On closer inspection, however, the variables involved are subjective and clearly unscientific. W, for example, stands for weather. D is the debt and d is the monthly salary, while T means the time since Christmas and Q is the time since you gave up on your New Year’s resolution.

None of the factors he included can be measured or compared by the same units. The formula cannot be properly evaluated or verified. For example, there is no way to measure the average number of days since people slipped on their New Years resolution. And the weather in January varies by state, country, and continent. In short, there East no scientific merit to that.

“I had no idea he would gain the popularity that he has,” Arnall told CNN. “I guess a lot of people recognize it in themselves.”

Arnall also claimed to campaign against his own idea of ​​Blue Monday as part of the Stop Blue Monday “activist group”. But this group, it turned out, was also a marketing campaign – this time for winter tourism to the Canary Islands.

Now, he told CNN, he would do it again.

“I don’t regret it at all,” he said, adding that he had “used the media” on several occasions with the intention of starting conversations about psychology.

“My problem with academic psychology and peer-reviewed publications… they don’t really make much of a difference to ordinary people,” added Arnall, who was paid £ 1,200 to create Blue Monday.

This is not a popular point of view in the profession, however.

“This is not the right way to educate the public,” said Dr Antonis Kousoulis, UK Mental Health Foundation Efforts Director for England and Wales. “By saying that today is the most depressing day of the year, without any proof, we are trivializing how serious depression can be.”

“Mental health is the biggest health challenge of our generation,” he added. “To trivialize it is totally unacceptable.”

“Depression is not a one-day phenomenon,” Shah said. “Depression is a clinical syndrome that should last for at least two weeks, most of the day, most days over time.”

However, the winter blues are real

Critics of the concept of “Blue Monday” have argued that attributing clinical depression to external causes – such as the idea that the number of days since Christmas can have adverse effects on people. influenced by it – suggesting that their condition could be resolved with something as simple as booking a vacation on a sunny beach.

What’s real is the winter blues, more clinically known as seasonal affective disorder or SAD. It is a form of depression that people typically experience during the fall and winter months, when there is less sun. The toughest months for people with SAD in the United States tend to be January and February, but this gets better with the onset of spring.

The condition has been linked to a biochemical imbalance in the brain caused by shorter daylight hours and less sunlight in winter. As the seasons change, people experience a change in their internal body clock, or circadian rhythm, which can cause them to be out of sync with their regular schedule.

Other signs include feelings of sadness, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, thoughts of death or suicide, and even suicide attempts.

The onset of SAD can occur at any age, but usually begins between the ages of 18 and 30 and is more common in women than in men.

How to fight seasonal affective disorder

The easiest way to start taking action against SAD is to focus on exposure to light, Shah said. “If you can’t get natural sunlight, buy a softbox,” he says.

Light therapy involves sitting in front of a box of light therapy that emits very bright light for at least 20 minutes a day. Most people see improvements in this method within a week or two of starting treatment.

In anticipation of the return of symptoms in late fall, some people start light therapy in early fall to prevent them.

Increased exposure to the sun can also help improve symptoms. People prone to symptoms may want to spend more time outdoors or have a seating area in your home that is exposed to a window during the day. Antidepressants and talk therapy are also effective in treating SAD.

Taking care of your health holistically can also help: exercise regularly, eat well, get enough sleep when you can, and stay in touch with family and friends. Also talk to your doctor, because SAD can be a manageable condition with the right diagnosis and treatment.

“If you stay physically, mentally and socially active and use a light box, it will go a long way,” Shah said.

The concept of Blue Monday was a smart idea at best, and a travel marketing program that probably didn’t work. But why stop there? Arnall then devised a formula for determining the happiest day of the year, sponsored by an ice cream company, although many find solace in the treat when they are least happy.

So if you are feeling good today on Blue Monday, then don’t expect the day to be a disaster on the way. If you are struggling with SAD, know that help is available for you.