Monday, January 17, 2022

Beating the Blue Monday Blues

The third Monday of each January is known as Blue Monday, and this year seems harder than ever. How can we counteract the blues today, and all winter long?

By Miranda O'Krane, Health and Wellness Coordinator

Blue is many people’s favourite colour.

But when it comes to feeling blue, that’s a completely different story.

The third Monday of each January is known as Blue Monday. Even though there is no scientific basis for this, it is described as the most depressing day of the year.

By now, many people have removed all traces of the holidays. Daylight is short, darkness is long, and it’s the season of cold and dreary weather. However, in our everyday life, we’re back to the usual grind. New Year’s resolutions have been hard to keep or broken.

And this year seems even more challenging because we are still dealing with lockdowns and restrictions due to COVID.

Our mental health is being impacted by so many things, and when we start to relate an actual day to feeling our worst, it can trigger a greater sense of depression and anxiety.

So how can we help counteract the blues today, and all winter long?

We can start with not being so hard on ourselves. Set small, achievable goals that lead to bigger ones when you feel more reasonable about personal expectations.

Don’t forget to manage your expectations of others, too. They may be feeling the same way.

Here are some examples of small, achievable goals.

· Get proper sleep. Go to bed and get up around the same time each day.

· Maintain a healthy diet. Add a vegetable at snack time and eat only one cookie instead of two.

· Exercise! Walk five minutes today, then seven tomorrow. Every step counts.

· Budget. Use the free online tool iAcquaint by logging into myCLAC and going to the My Health and Wellness page.

Whether or not Blue Monday is an actual scientifically proven and real day, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), depression, and other mental health challenges are real. At times, they can require extra resources to assist us in getting through them.

If you feel like you want to talk someone, here are some resources you can access.

· If you or someone you know is in crisis or immediate danger, please call 9-1-1

· Access your EFAP 24/7 at 1-844-880-9142

· Crisis Services Canada is available 24/7 at 1-833-456-4566

· Visit WellCan for articles and resources

· Log into myCLAC and go to the My Health and Wellness page for more resources

Beating the Blue Monday Blues

You might be interested in