Blue Monday: a myth that needs to be debunked?

By Erin Donnelly

When I hear the phrase ‘Blue Monday’, two things immediately race to my attention. The first being New Order’s classic 1983 biggest selling 12” single of all time in the UK – arguably their strongest and best song. The other seems to be what the media has, in more recent years, pinned as the most depressing day of the year, supposedly falling annually on the third Monday of January. However, how far can we trust this media hypothesis? Is it really the most mundane day of the year? Or, is it up to us to debunk this ‘myth’?

Now, we can all unanimously agree upon the fact January is, in itself, a treacherous month. Christmas is over. People are back to work. The weather is awful. We are lucky enough to see a glimpse of daylight. We struggle to cope with the severe withdrawal of comforting calorific food. A brave cohort endeavour upon the quest of ‘Dry January’.  We kid ourselves into thinking going to the gym every day was a realistic goal. However, is this not applicable, and more so realistic, for the entirety of the month? Who is to say these struggles are faced most ardently and exclusively upon ‘Blue Monday’?

The concept was initially coined by psychologist Cliff Arnall and ‘qualified’ by a somewhat ludicrous equation that calculated: the weather conditions; the time from both Christmas and when New Years’ resolutions have broken down; and, one’s insurmountable debt level. Yes, these factors are representative of the ‘January Blues’; yet, such arbitrary features are impossible to quantify and function in such a mathematical format. Arnall, known as a Cardiff University psychologist, had initially devised the term for the Sky Travel travel firm, and was first declared on 24^th January 2005, as part of their press release. Since such PR use, the term has been regularly reused by other companies in press releases, albeit retailers of bottled water and alcoholic drinks, enlarging its widespread influence upon society. In 2018, it was reported Arnall was additionally working in cooperation with Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays. Despite his claims it was “never his intention to make the day sound negative” but instead “to inspire people to take action and make bold life choices”, his actions prove to merely contrast this. Rather, they seem to mirror an endless piggyback upon a PR stunt, offering opportunities for high-end business to increase their capital, offering for example serotonin-boosting winter breaks from travel agencies. 

UK mental health charities, such as the Mental Health Foundation, have warned against the risks of buying into such a self-destructive concept. Rather, this tedious annual PR event, designed to promote heavenly ideals that are far-reaching and far-removed from improving one’s mental health and well-being, creates greater dissatisfaction for the general public – especially those who genuinely suffer with their mental health. To trivialise symptoms of anxiety, depression, and isolation, is a form of commercial exploitation that aims to transform mental health into a fashionable topic for profit and revenue. The concept has been manipulated on nation-wide platforms as a golden sales opportunity, allowing PR and marketing firms to benefit from capitalising on the general public’s vulnerability, as victims to false advertising. Chartered psychologist, Dr Joan Harvey, has herself regarded the concept as “completely meaningless”, as to fixate depression to one day is “sensationalist nonsense”, especially when individuals throughout the winter period are affected by seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

So, yes, we all agree January is by far the most difficult month to grapple with and struggle through. The financial strains; the failed New Years’ resolutions; the lack of daylight; the monotonous, event-less nights that follow the hectic festive period. These are all but few of the endless reasons why January is a treacherous month to endure. However, such flaws must not be conditioned to one ‘Blue Monday’. This merely conflates such issues with the every-day struggles of clinical depression, and fears risking the experiences of those living with a serious illness. 

Image: Rigos101 via Wikimedia Commons