How to Handle Blue Monday

It’s Blue Monday. Blue Monday is not a holiday or even a real day. It was made up for Sky Travel. Nevertheless, getting the blues (particularly in January) is common, so let’s discuss it.

Blue Monday was created and dubbed as, supposedly, the most depressing day of the year. Cheery, right?

How to handle Blue Monday

It’s the point in the year when many of us will have ditched our New Year’s Resolutions and are feeling the financial pinch from Christmas.

There is no foundation to suggest this is an actual day of depression – as many people with depression will know, depression does not work like that. However, if you’re struggling with the crappy weather, the lack of money or the amount of work you have to do post-Christmas then here is my advice on how to handle Blue Monday. Or a blue Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

Watch something funny

Whether it be a silly cat video on YouTube or a classic comedy like The Princess Bride or What’s Up Doc – or a modern one, I just prefer old comedies. Cheer yourself up by laughing, it’s a great pick-me-up, even if it’s only for a moment.

Go out

Get some air, go for a walk to your local shop or to the cinema. Just get out of your flat or the office for a bit of fresh air or some new environment.

Speak to others

Talk to your colleagues, your friends, and your family. Have a chat with a stranger or a barista, talking is fun. Don’t spend the day in silence, it’s a good way to break out of a sad bubble.

Cook a meal

Don’t be tempted to get a bad-for-you/bad-for-your-wallet take-out, cook a meal that you love. That can be something as simple as a nice homemade soup or just cooking up your favourite flavour of noodles.

Plan your Budget

Your budget is probably a little shit right now. It’s post-Christmas and it’s more than likely that you got paid early for the holidays so you’ve probably gone over budget. So reassure yourself and calm any anxiety by planning your budget for the next month. Think about what needs to be paid and make sure you plan to put the money aside and then figure out what you can and can’t afford to do.

Make a future plan

If you do have a little cash lying around then I say, make a plan for the future by buying some cinema or theatre tickets. Book a holiday if you’ve got more cash than most. Text friends and agree to meet for dinner or a drink. Just make a plan.

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