In a post-holiday slump? You’re not alone. Find out how to manage the winter blues.
Blue Monday falls on Jan. 19. Find out what it means and why you aren’t alone in your gloomy outlook.“This has no clinical basis whatsoever,” Christine Crawford, MD, MPH, associate medical director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness tells TODAY.
com in a phone interview. can be traced to Cliff Arnall, a United Kingdom psychologist coined the phrase in 2005 as part of a PR campaign for looking to identify the most glum day of the year. Using a variety of benchmarks, Arnall determined that the third Monday in January fit the bill., what it means and how improve your outlook if you’re feeling a little bluer than normal this time of year.According to Crawford, there isn’t a single culprit for Blue Monday, but a variety of things that contribute to the funk many people feel come mid-January. “Blue Monday symbolizes the sense of difficulty being able to look ahead to the future with excitement,” she explains, saying that the wintry weather and lack of sunlight can lead to feeling down, as well as the letdown that often follows the end of the holiday season. “The combination of coming off the high of all the holiday celebrations in which you are connecting with family and friends, there’s a lot of excitement. There are things to look forward to. You’re spending time doing all of the things that you love and you’re not working. It’s really an amazing, amazing time,” says Crawford.“When that all goes away, you go back to work and you’re going through the grind, then the impact of it being January, the weather, the limited sunlight that sinks in, as well as ‘Man, I don’t have anything to look forward to until April.’ That can be really tough for a lot of folks,” Crawford explains. She also says that it’s common for people to put off work and other obligations during the holidays, intending to take care of them once the hubbub has died down. When that time comes, however, addressing those procrastinated projects can feel overwhelming, as can any bills that have accumulated as a result of holiday expenses. “People spend a lot of money in the month of December, and then they’re looking at their credit card statements in January,” says Crawford. “Not only are you feeling bummed about having to play catch-up at work, but there’s more financial pressures for some people having to recoup some of the losses from all of that holiday spending.” For a fresh start, forget New Year's resolutions: ‘There is a better way'—this practical 3-step plan can turn ‘wishes into reality' Mid-January also marks the time when New Year’s resolutions like wellness intentions and committing to things like Dry January begin to falter. “There’s a lot of pressure that we place on ourselves during the month of January,” says Crawford. “There’s this kind of expectation that you are going to be a better, improved version of yourself.” And when maintaining that standard falls by the wayside, “That can make one feel kind of depressed actually.”"Try to look at ways in which you can break up your day so that it feels manageable, so that you have things that are built into the day that are motivating."If any or all of the above have left you in a bit of a slump, Crawford says there are things you can do to help improve your Blue Monday outlook starting with giving yourself a break — literally. “Try to look at ways in which you can break up your day so that it feels manageable, so that you have things that are built into the day that are motivating,” Crawford says. “If you have a job where you have to focus for a long period of time, schedule in breaks during your day where you can reward yourself, whether it’s to watch one episode of a show or spend some time on social media, and then you get back to work,” she suggests. Crawford also recommends intentionally staying connected to people after the holiday season and not isolating, even if that feels like the easiest option. “You really have to be proactive when it comes to setting up opportunities to connect with friends and family. Make sure that you are scheduling time to call your loved ones or scheduling time to have that brunch with your girlfriend.” Unsurprisingly, she also recommends moving your body. “Any opportunity that you have to engage your muscles to be active, you are actually treating your Blue Monday, your low mood, because you are causing your body to release its own antidepressants.” Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Crawford says to cut yourself some slack. “Have some grace for yourself,” she says. “Set up realistic expectations about your daily routine and your daily schedule and have that build and expand over time. But make sure to be realistic about it.”While Blue Monday isn't an official holiday of any kind, Crawford says that acknowledging it can be helpful if it provides a sense of community. “When we have names for these type of experiences, what it does is validates the experience for people,” she explains. “For a lot of folks, they might feel alone in the fact that during this period of time, they're feeling lower than usual. When you're able to assign a name to it, you're able to identify the feeling, it can be quite reassuring and validating.”According to Crawford, there are signs and symptoms to look for beyond just finding yourself in a temporary funk and they may signaling a more serious mental health condition. “If people are noticing that their ability to function is impaired, their eating habits are off, it's hard for them to concentrate and focus, or they're noticing changes in their energy level, and this is going on for a couple of weeks at a time, that might be suggestive that they have clinical depression,” she says. If that's the case, or you suspect that you or someone you know is suffering from more than just a Blue Monday funk, Crawford recommends seeking medical care.Uvalde School Shooting
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