It has largely become common knowledge that the third Monday in January is known as ‘Blue Monday’ – a.k.a. the most depressing day of the year. This year, that falls on Monday the 19th of January. It’s not hard to see why this day was selected; with darkness closing in around 4pm, poor weather conditions, and most of the British population back in work or school after the Christmas break, it is certainly a depressing day.
However, it has (perhaps unsurprisingly) been debunked, as there is no scientific evidence to support that one particular day may be more depressing than another. Blue Monday is decidedly a cultural phenomenon, rather than a scientific one. So, why do we put so much stock in it?
Speaking to a student at the University of Edinburgh, they said that “I only found out about Blue Monday recently, and that was from seeing ads related to it on my social media.” Similarly, I didn’t know that Blue Monday existed until I was well into my teens, and to be perfectly honest, I could have done without knowing about it at all. Why is what is usually a mundane if not bleak day made to feel even more bleak by the constant reminders that you’re supposed to feel depressed? The answer: capitalism.
You need only look at the origins of Blue Monday to understand how this cultural concept is driven by consumerist values. The idea was coined by Dr Cliff Arnall in order to help a holiday company sell more holidays on the first Blue Monday in January 2005. Furthermore, he gave his idea pseudo-scientific weight by creating a supposed equation from which he derived this date. The equation took into account factors like debt, time since Christmas, poor weather, and failed new years’ resolutions.
21 years later, we’re still talking about it. After reading only a few articles about Blue Monday, I had already seen countless advertisements for sunrise alarm clocks and holidays to beat the winter blues. It’s glaringly obvious that the debunked myth has been continually perpetuated in the interests of advertisement and consumerism.
And yet, while Blue Monday may be fake, Seasonal Affective Disorder certainly isn’t. A 2023 study found that 1 in 3 people experience SAD – a scientifically proven condition that affects mood in the darker and colder months. “I think [SAD] can be really hard to deal with, especially for uni students because the majority of the academic year happens in the autumn and winter months,” says one student when asked about managing SAD at university. It certainly seems counterproductive, while many people are truly struggling, to create a cultural scam telling people that they should be sad. It’s hard for anyone to feel cheery when you’re being told that you should feel depressed.
It’s clear that debunking is not enough; we’ve known Blue Monday is a scam for years and yet it continues to be discussed as a relevant cultural phenomenon. In order to tackle the real, scientifically proven effects of the winter months on our moods, we need to avoid further generating a culture of bleakness and focus on the things we can do to lift our spirits.
So, when the travel agent tells you how depressed you must be feeling, and how essential the winter get away is to avoid Blue Monday, remember that they’re doing it with their own interests in mind. Blue Monday is a scam created and perpetuated by capitalist goals. Tackling winter blues does not have to mean spending money on sunlight lamps and holidays; walks outside, connecting with friends, and warm cups of tea or coffee are among the many inexpensive remedies to help alleviate low mood this winter. And most importantly, remember that Blue Monday is well and truly a debunked myth.
Illustration by Jessica Bolevin for The Student