Blue Monday? How are you feeling?

January’s third Monday, “Blue Monday”, is thought to be the most depressing day of the year. Spoiler: it isn’t. Let’s look after our mental health against commercial influences.

Blue Monday is a myth

Blue Monday is a PR stunt that was originally dreamed up to sell holidays.

It is a myth, a false calculation based on things like the gloomy weather, post-Christmas debt, disappointment from not keeping New Years Resolutions, dissatisfaction about going back to work and general doom and gloom. Since then, it has become a rather tedious yearly PR event, often designed to promote things that are vaguely linked to improving our well-being, more often than not with a complete lack of evidence. No actual scientific studies have ever backed up any claims about Blue Monday.

Mental health 'good and bad' days are individual to each of us

It is pointless to try and identify what the most depressing day of the year is because it would be different for each one of us. As different as each person’s circumstances are. And it is also important to distinguish between temporarily feeling down, which we all relate to from time to time, and experiencing depression or a mental health problem that can be quite disabling for our day-to-day lives.

This year, perhaps more than any other year in recent memory, the need and importance for us all to look after our mental health and support each other at this time, is clear and urgent. The Covid Pandemic has eroded many of the things that normally protect our mental health – from social connectedness to financial security and hope for the future. It has left lasting behavioural changes in many of us- some in a negative way.

There can be seasonal variations in our mental health

However, despite the fact that Blue Monday isn’t real, there can be seasonal variations in our mental health. Some people might be experiencing Seasonal Affectation Disorder with symptoms of depression that come and go in a seasonal pattern (and are usually more intense in the months with lower daylight). Bodily changes in the winter can affect our hormones and impact our sleeping and eating habits, as well as our mood.

Things that are known to be good for our mental health, such as exercising and spending time in free spaces, are harder to do when the days are short and nights are long. December is also a time when some of us may tend to eat and drink too much, run up debts, and then sometimes feel bad about these afterwards.

We should be thinking about our mental health every day of the year

Perhaps the true meaning of Blue Monday is that we all have mental health and that there are steps that we can take on every day of the year to try and protect it. We should not just be thinking about our mental health on 15th January this year, but on every day of the year. Depression and other mental health problems last for more than a day. And mental health problems can affect people in different ways on any day of the year.

Poor mental health is the greatest public health challenge facing our generation. Trivialising symptoms of depression, anxiety and other mental health problems, under the influence of commercial industries that wish to turn mental health into an on-trend topic for profit, is unacceptable. Our approach should be evidence-based, involve whole communities and prioritise prevention .

Things we can do to protect our mental health

As a starting point, we recommend some basic practical things we all can do to protect our mental health:

• We could try and talk about our feelings to someone we know

• We could try and keep active, eat well and drink sensibly and ask for help if we are struggling

• We could ask for help from a professional

Trying to anticipate distress, staying connected and engaging in a new rhythm of life is important.

We may find that we are not alone; there are people that can help and so many are facing similar challenges.

How Hypnotherapy has helped my clients

"I woke one morning after months of not feeling myself and thought why am I here? My life made no sense,it all felt so empty.

Kerry happened by accident, I told a friend how I was feeling.The result was meeting Kerry.

Kerry helped me untangle all those thoughts and put them into perspective. We talked, Kerry listened and spoke only when I needed to hear her voice explaining and boosting my confidence. 

Kerry helped put my life and thoughts back on track. I cannot recommend her enough and will always be grateful to her for the help and support she gave to me."

"My hypnotherapy sessions with Kerry were a great experience. I came into contact with Kerry because I was suffering from panic attacks and anxiety. The conversations with Kerry helped me enormously in this. Our sessions were online and although we couldn't talk in person, Kerry made me feel very comfortable and safe. I have learned a lot about myself and how to deal with my fears and insecurities, and this has made me feel much stronger. Kerry managed to bring me into a relaxed state both mentally and physically in a very comforting and calming way, and to reduce my unconscious triggers. I am extremely grateful! Because of our hypnotherapy sessions, I feel like I have been given even more tools to deal with my triggers and fears. Thank you so much Kerry!"

"After having suffered from lack of self confidence and not knowing what I wanted to do, or what direction my life was taking, I was recommended Kerrys help . The progress has been amazing . I was getting myself nervous about getting on trains, driving and had a lack of motivation to exercise. 

I am now a regular gym goer, running 5ks (after never having run before) , I am not thinking twice about taking a train from Wales to London for the weekend, on my own . And I am starting an on-call firefighter role , after training for a strict  fitness test and getting through the interview process . My self confidence has grown hugely and my driving too which has opened up my world.   Kerry’s support has been invaluable in the transition in me over the last six months. Thanks you so much Kerry . "

Mental health matters on every day of the year.

Feel free to give me a call or email to arrange a free initial consultation to see how Hypnotherapy and Holistic Therapy might help you with your mental health.

Kerry Griffiths

Mobile 07807266573

Email KerryGriffithsHypnotherapy@gmail.com

Web Address https://www.kerrygriffithshypnotherapy.co.uk