What is Blue Monday? Myth, perception or maybe a bit of both?

No doubt you’ve heard of the very popular term Blue Monday. You know, the third one in January, which is supposed to be the worst in the whole year. But what exactly is Blue Monday? Is it real? Or is it purely the work of a marketing department, desperate for something to stick? Here, Laura Drury describes why Blue Monday is purely a state of mind and how you can change your perception of it.

Your brain’s secret filter

Are you in a room with someone at the moment? If so, I want you to look at the person but try not to notice their eyebrows… Did it work? 

Now, empty your mind of eyebrows. Even if you’ve stopped looking at that person, don’t imagine them, especially NOT their eyebrows.

How was that? Tough right? I’m guessing now you have eyebrows dancing before your very eyes! That’s because your brain is really good at finding what you’re looking for but also what you’re avoiding. It has a filter called the Reticular Activating System. For ease, let’s call it the RAS. 

What does the RAS do?

Your brain is bombarded with huge amounts of information every single second, so one of the roles of the RAS is to help you pick out the important stuff. It receives information from all your senses (excluding smell) and selects what’s most relevant to your situation, perceptions and beliefs. What you believe to be true will be supported by your RAS. Whether it is, or not.

So what’s that got to do with Blue Monday?

No such thing as Blue Monday

Well, firstly, there’s no such thing as Blue Monday! It doesn’t exist – unless your RAS thinks it does.

It came about in a Sky Travel press release in 2005. They worked with coach and psychologist, Dr Cliff Arnall, on an algorithm, to estimate when the saddest day of the year would be. Their aim? To encourage people on that day to do something to cheer them up – perhaps book a holiday!

Lots of companies have jumped on that bandwagon ever since and thus Blue Monday became official.

Most of us have wised up to this, but there are many who still fall at the mercy of the marketers’ motives; getting you to spend more money. As well as being bad for your wallet, it can also have a negative impact on your mental health and wellbeing.

It’s fair to say January is the month with the worst reputation. Yes, the partying is over. Yes, the days are shorter, and yes, the weather is cooler and wetter (at least in the U.K.) but why does January have to be blue? Well, if you look for reasons why, you’ll find them. Your RAS will help you.

In 2001, at the University of Michigan, Richard E Nisbett PhD and (the then graduating student) Takahiko Masuda, PhD, conducted a study to see how cultural differences could affect the most ‘basic cognitive processes’. 

They showed Japanese and American groups underwater vignettes and asked them to recall what they saw. ‘Americans were more likely to begin by recalling the focal fish, while Japanese were more likely to describe the whole scene, saying something like "it was a lake or pond.”

Both groups saw different things. That’s because, due to their cultures, they were looking for different things. With both perspectives, you get a fuller picture.

How can this apply to Blue Monday? 

If you feel it’s a ‘good’ day, what are you thinking? What are your beliefs about that day? How could you apply that to Blue Monday? 

Start by creating awareness of what you’re thinking and challenge those thoughts:

• What are your beliefs?
• Where have those beliefs come from? 
• Are they true? 
• What else might be true?

Next, be aware of the messages you receive too, particularly from the news and social media. Yes, we need to be informed, but choose carefully where you get your news from - avoid propaganda where you can. 

Also, be selective about who you follow. Are those people truly inspirational and motivational? Or do they make you feel anxious? Does social media leave you feeling inadequate? Watch Naomi Shamada’s TED Talk for ‘peace of mind online’.

What are you expecting from your day?

Your beliefs and thoughts are shaped by your expectations. If those expectations are unrealistic, they will impact how happy you’re feeling. Your expectations influence how you feel, and your feelings impact how you behave. 

This works with both positive as well as negative expectations. If we ignore negative feelings and tell ourselves that we should be more optimistic, or believe we achieve more in a day than is realistic, we are setting ourselves at a disadvantage from the start. Instead consider, what are the realistic expectations you’d like to get from today? 

Likewise, pay attention to your mindset. What language do you hear yourself using? Are your beliefs fixed, is it really blue Monday? Or perhaps you could use some Growth Mindset techniques and ask yourself how could this Monday be different from the last? 

How else can you have a more joyful January?

There are many other practical things you can do to boost your brain’s happy chemicals:

• Gratitude – reflect back on the festive period and consider what you’re grateful for. It has a lasting impact on positive health and wellbeing, especially if you practise every day
• Kindness – one of the most beneficial things you can do when you’re feeling low is to help someone else. They feel happier, you feel happier and it’s contagious so spread the love. 
• Learning – try out a new hobby, sport or activity. Learning new things keeps your brain healthy and when you make progress you boost your happy neurotransmitters again.

Dr Cliff Arnall has since apologised for his role in making January seem more depressing. His intention was to inspire people to take action. With this in mind, what can you do to aim for a more joyful January instead?

At least you’re not thinking about eyebrows anymore!