Blue Monday has arrived once again but there's absolutely no reason for it to get you down.
The day originally surged onto the public's radar almost twenty years ago, but many don't know where it came from and why it's a load of nonsense. The day typically falls on the third Monday of January and has been coined the gloomiest day of the year.
The Blue Monday concept all started in 2004, when UK holiday firm Sky Travel asked psychologist Cliff Arnall to devise a formula for the 'January Blues' for a press release. The formula factored in weather conditions, debt level, time since Christmas, time since new year’s resolutions have been broken, low motivational levels, and the feeling of a need to take action.
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The formula has been discredited by many, including being described as "ludicrous" by neuroscientist Dean Burnett.
Dr Philip Clarke, a lecturer in psychology at the University of Derby, told BBC News in 2022 that the "key thing to remember is that Blue Monday isn't scientifically proven" and said he started speaking out against it when he saw companies using it as an excuse to sell things.
"There's not even proof January sees a rise in mental health referrals although it may seem that way," he added.
Since it's introduction by Sky Travel almost two decades ago, many more companies have jumped on the bandwagon and used Blue Monday to sell products or holidays. So remember, there's no reason why today has to be gloomiest day of the year and you definitely don't need to splurge your money just because it's the third Monday in January.
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