The truth behind Blue Monday- has it already happened or not?

Blue Monday is a name given to what some experts postulate is the most depressing day of the year. Cliff Arnall, at the time a tutor at the Centre for Lifelong Learning which is associated with Cardiff University, came up with a formula for calculating the bluest day of the year based on a number of variables including weather, debt, time since Christmas, time since failing our new year’s resolutions, low motivational levels and the feeling of a need to take action.

Apparently, Arnalls created a press release that was delivered to a number of academics by public relations agency, Porter Novelli, who offered them money to put their names to it.

Needless to say, there’s much controversy about the whole existence of Blue Monday. But who cares! January does suck and everyone needs to do things to pick up their mood this time of year. Why not pick a specific day to support each other in doing something to increase our level of happiness and by default, everyone’s around us.

So I missed the boat a bit on what I coin my happiness workout! I read different sources which said it was January 23rd this year but, alas, the masses seem to assert that Blue Monday is the 3rd Monday in January which seems to negate the need for the formula above. I like to call this, "Science through press release". Something is fact because it was in a press release and, let's face it, the press can be insanely lazy due to 'pressing' deadlines.

Even the Toronto Star is confused about what is actually Blue Monday. Check out today's article from the Star. Here's an excerpt.

It was supposed to be the Monday of all Mondays, when you’re more than justified for having a serious case of … the Mondays. And it was supposed to be long over.

Except that no one seems able to agree on the exact date of Blue Monday, the day considered the most depressing day of the year. Was it yesterday, the third Monday of January, which is the most often-sited date? Or is it Jan. 23, the Monday in the last full week of January? Or could it have happened as far back as Jan. 1, which is the shortest day of the month?


Stay posted for my simple happiness workout in my next iVillage Column! We can choose behaviours that will improve our level of happiness!!!!

Here's the New Order song Blue Monday to help us all celebrate, tongue in cheek ;)