Moving Through Blue Monday

If you’re feeling blue this particular week, or day, it’s no surprise. The third Monday in January marks an understated but collective time of sadness. Blue Monday has been coined the most depressing day of the year, and while this is contested to be fiction versus fact, it feels true for many. As the curtain comes down on the sunshine, lengthy warm days, holiday celebrations and activities to look forward to, it’s imperative to learn how to identify your blues.

You may have some curiosities about Blue Monday and depressive moods at this specific time of year, why January? Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is an onset of depressive symptoms that rears its head and ends with seasonal changes. While this type of depression has unique impacts on individuals, it generally begins in the fall and persists through winter, lifting in the spring months. The experience of depressive symptoms can range in severity. This means that you may feel subtle shifts in your mood, or impacts that alter your quality of life. Either way, you are not alone.

SAD has been linked to the changes in sunlight, which impacts the body’s “biological clock” and release of hormones or neurotransmitters that stimulate energized, happy moods, and support the body in falling asleep and responding to stress. This may cause oversleeping, fatigue, lethargy or increased stress. Other symptoms include feelings of helplessness, sadness, worry, irritation, reduced motivation, negative thoughts, and disinterest in activities that previously offered joy (anhedonia). Much like Major Depression, there are unique presentations of SAD, although the characteristics of these depressive disorders are the same.

You may be asking yourself, how will I move through Blue Monday, and the blue winter season? We are here to support you with some strategies for managing low moods.