Psychologist Cliff Arnall determines Blue Monday the “most depressing day of the year.” The concept first came to life in 2005, and now such a day occurs yearly:
It’s the third Monday in January.
Why is it blue and most depressing? The Christmas and New Year holidays are over, the weather is gray, days are short, and you realize you may not (again!) fulfill your resolutions. And while many, including Cliff Arball himself, see Blue Mondays as pseudoscience and media hype, most of us sometimes feel something like Monday blues. Don’t you agree?
So:
Even if you’ve survived it this year and don’t need to know the answer to the question, “When is Blue Monday 2024?” (though why not check it just in case), this article will come in handy.
It shares practical mood-boosting tips on avoiding the Monday blues and coping with those feelings of sadness and general low motivation such days may bring.
Shall we start?
Why Mondays Are Blue
Cliff Arnall’s Blue Monday concept is more about seasonal depression:
His theory is that the third Monday of January is the saddest day of the year as it makes most people’s emotions dip. The festive season is over; days are gloomy; some have debt; others try to stick to New Year’s resolutions but see they fail, thus feeling depressed.
But let’s face it:
Such a mood has nothing to do with depression. It’s just a post-Christmas slump.
Dr. Arnall admitted it himself, saying that the concept was meaningless but not saying it was wrong. For that, other psychologists blamed Arnall for harming the public understanding of science and disrespecting people who suffer from genuine depression. Thus, in his article for The Guardian, Dr. Dean Burnett writes that such pseudoscientific theories that grow popular in the mainstream media make people suggest depression is “temporary and minor rather than what may be a chronic and incapacitating condition.”
But what if we reverse Blue Mondays into “Monday Blues?”
We’ve all been there:
- Feeling down at the start of the week
- Sadness (a fun-filled weekend is over, and it’s time to transition to an unpleasant workday)
- Feeling agitated
- Sense of dread
- Trouble sleeping
- Worrying about the week to come
- Muscle tension, headaches, changes in appetite
Monday blues are discouraging. The causes for it might vary, though experts highlight the core three: job dissatisfaction or burnout, cognitive distortions (like catastrophizing or overgeneralizing), and disruptive weekend habits.
Whatever your case, you can deal with Blue Monday. Below are the practical tips and strategies that can help you beat the blues.
How You Can Deal With Blue Monday: 7 Strategies
1. Physical Exercises
Over the weekend, many transform into couch potatoes. We decide to skip out on the gym or stay in bed as much as possible for extra sleep and relaxation after a busy working week. While there’s nothing awful in such a lazy leisure, it can cause the Monday blues when you have zero energy and desire to leave your cozy sofa and go to work.
Try to be active during the weekend. Walk with friends, go to a gym, or physically exercise at home. Squats, push-ups, or stretching don’t require any specific equipment or going out. Combine exercise with meditation: 30 minutes of each can reduce anxiety by almost 40%!
Or you can schedule a workout for Monday morning! It’s an effective way to avoid a bad mood.
2. Daylight Walks
Whether we call it Blue Mondays or Monday Blues, we more often struggle with it during the winter months:
Days are shorter, and the sun shines sparsely. We miss Vitamin D, energy, and the desire to work or do something. Organize your days to take as much daylight as possible to deal with that. Daylight walks on weekends and popping out between meetings instead of small talk near the office coffee machine are great ways to start.
3. Food
While spending a weekend in bed with cheat meals like pizza or chocolate is tempting, it won’t save you from a blue mood on Monday. More than that, processed or unhealthy food can negatively influence your emotions.
So, let’s try to eat as healthy as possible: fish, green vegetables, nuts, fruits, and self-cooked meals can do wonders.
Speaking of self-cooked meals, by the way:
Cooking and trying new recipes can become your gateway to positive feelings. Success with a dish gives a sense of achievement, boosts self-esteem, and can enhance your creative side — perfect for beating bad moods and stress in anticipation of Monday and a new workweek.
4. Habits
Naturally, you want to relax at the weekend, especially if your working days are overwhelming and highly structured. However, it’s critical to mind your weekend activities:
All of them (yes, even those that seem innocent and relaxing) impact your Monday mood by far!
For example, if your weekend sleep routine drastically differs from that you have on Monday-Friday, it throws off your internal rhythms and brings more harm than good. The same is true for the habit of drinking alcohol on the weekend: Hangovers and comedowns will hardly bring you joy on Monday morning.
5. Read Books
Take some breaks from screens and buttons; allow your brain to process information more flexibly and relaxingly. Incorporate book reading into your arsenal of daily habits.
Remember that smooth feeling of reading an actual book when you were a child? Allow your senses to experience that same delight: Read printed books (no e-readers or online files!).
6. Share Experiences
You can avoid Monday blues or prevent their coming by speaking to others, building connections, and sharing your anxieties.
Plan meetings with friends, revive old friendships, or talk with like-minded people online (social media groups, forums, you name it). If you don’t want to share experiences with anyone, try journaling:
Write down your worries about the week ahead and the actions you’ll take on Monday. Such writing exercises have many benefits for mental health, helping you address whatever’s worrying you.
7. Reframe Mondays
Instead of spending the weekend waiting for the Monday blues, reframe this first day of your working week a bit:
Schedule some fun activities on Monday: a walk with a friend during a lunch break, a cinema after work, etc. Having something to look forward to can help shift your perception of this day.
Also, avoid overscheduling on Mondays: Please don’t stuff this day with meetings and significant tasks to handle after coming from a relaxing weekend. It will lighten your Monday blues: You won’t sit and wait for this “dreadful” day, overpacked with tons of pending tasks for the next week.
Long Story Short
Monday is a stressful day for most people. Reasons vary (job dissatisfaction, cognitive distortions, disruptive weekend habits), but this day doesn’t have to bring dread or anxiety.
Once you know what drives your post-weekend mood, you can decide on the best strategies to influence it. Whether it’s new habits, fun activities, or some therapy to shift your perception of this day of the week, you’ll find a way to beat Blue Mondays and leave Monday Blues behind.
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