Blue Monday Blues

I was chatting with a colleague and was told that today is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year, so Blue Monday was invented to cheer people up, by a travel company in 2005 who used it to promote their holiday bookings.

And so Blue Monday was born.

Well, I only discovered this by chance, and whilst I can see that many people are getting their bills from Christmas, the days are still short, and maybe these are reasons to be sad, I found it hard to be sad today.

In Wilmslow we had a beautiful sunny day. Yes, we started with some snow, but then the skies cleared, the sun came out and it was a gorgeous day.

Every day is what you make it. Today could have been a good day even if the weather was bad.

The thing is, at this time of year, many people do suffer with depression, low mood, anxiety, the whole spectrum of mental health problems get magnified by what feels like endless short days, too much rain and cloud, and not enough sunshine.

So if you know someone who is struggling it can be a hard time of year, be kind, be supportive, listen if they need to talk, and if you know someone who is struggling, go the extra mile. Pop around, invite them for coffee, something that helps them engage and may make the difference.

You never know the difference on small action can make, but to the receiver it can be just what they need.

I am seeing more and more people in the office with anxiety or simply just feeling stressed out and overwhelmed. The last few years have been tough on everyone.

So, on a lighter not, I hope your Blue Monday was as good as mine, blue skies not blue moods, and if it wasn’t reach out and find the support you need.