Today is a special day. Here custom does not refer to a holiday or a special tradition. But on the contrary. You feel tired, depressed and exhausted today – do you want to go home again? A really bleak start to the week? There is no reason to despair. Because today is officially the most depressing day of the year.
What is Blue Monday?
Dubbed the blackest day, “Blue Monday” was created in 2005 by Cliff Arnall, a psychologist at Cardiff University. According to The Independent Online, he found this with a system of mathematical equations. Arnall discovered that most people today see pitch black. The weather is bad, it’s still getting dark fast. New Year’s shopping completely emptied the wallet, the resolutions for the new year were again broken.
Why do we feel and so sad?
But that’s not all. “We get up late at the weekend. That’s why we go to bed later on Sunday and wake up grumpy on Monday,” says Phillip Hodson, assistant to the British Counseling Association. Additionally, according to Hodson, we’re less satisfied with our appearance because we’ve had a real binge during the holidays. Of course, experts have their advice too: Sports, a good conversation, reading an exciting book, a walk or a nice cup of tea are all tips against a “hangover” on Blue Monday.
When is Blue Monday?
The most depressing day of the year is calculated using a formula.
[W + (D-d)] x Tq ÷ [M x Na]
Among other things, it takes into account parameters such as post-Christmas melancholy, good resolutions and temperatures for the New Year, which have already spoiled. More precisely: the weather (W), debts (D) minus January salary (d), time since Christmas (T), time since good decisions failed (Q), lack of motivation one gets stuck with (M) ) and the feeling of having to do something (Na). No wonder so many people are in a bad mood these days.
Is it all just a gimmick?
The formula is as serious as it sounds – Blue Monday has not been scientifically proven. In fact, Arnall’s research was commissioned by travel company Sky Travel at the time, possibly with the aim of selling more vacations to sunny countries.
But what actually exists is the phenomenon known as winter depression. This is mostly due to the lack of light in winter and genetic factors. Unlike a “true” depression, a “winter depression” is seasonal and usually goes away as soon as spring comes.