{"id":344599,"date":"2026-01-19T16:10:43","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T16:10:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/blue-monday-marketing-myth-or-a-real-mental-health-concern\/"},"modified":"2026-01-19T16:10:43","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T16:10:43","slug":"blue-monday-marketing-myth-or-a-real-mental-health-concern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/en\/blue-monday-marketing-myth-or-a-real-mental-health-concern\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue Monday: marketing myth or a real mental health concern?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every year, on the third Monday of January, articles and posts about Blue Monday spring up in the press and on social media.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is Blue Monday really the most depressing day of the year? Origins, myth, impact on mental health, and solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What is Blue Monday?<\/b><\/p>\n

The name comes from the English expression “<\/span>to feel blue”<\/span><\/i>, which evokes a <\/span>feeling of sadness or low motivation<\/b>. So “Blue Monday” is best understood as a “depressing Monday”. <\/span><\/p>\n

And what could be more depressing than a Monday in January, once the Christmas and New Year festivities already feel far away and the days are short and lacking in light.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Origins of Blue Monday: a marketing creation<\/b><\/p>\n

But who decided that the most depressing day of the year falls in January? Were there any scientific studies, any statistics behind it? <\/span><\/p>\n

Actually, no!<\/span><\/p>\n

It originally came from a marketing campaign run by<\/span><\/p>\n

travel agencies to “boost” bookings, since January is a quiet month for holiday departures.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Blue Monday: a pseudo-scientific concept<\/b><\/p>\n

That said, it’s easy to see why people conclude it has a <\/span><\/p>\n

“pseudo-scientific” origin, since it is clearly established that winter is often associated with seasonal depression. <\/span><\/p>\n

We’ve all noticed that in winter we suffer from a lack of light, sunshine, and therefore vitamin D, which doctors often prescribe when we see them at this time of year.<\/span><\/p>\n

How often do we hear people say, in winter, that they feel tired, that they’re not in good spirits, and that they can’t wait for the warmer, brighter days to return.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Seasonal depression and the winter blues: a real phenomenon<\/b><\/p>\n

That said, it’s important to distinguish between a seasonal case of the blues and genuine depression. Because if this persistent tiredness and low mood is joined by other worries, such as stress at work, family difficulties, or concerns about your own health or that of your loved ones, it’s not uncommon for a depressive state to develop.<\/span><\/p>\n

In that state, as we know, we sleep little or badly. This poor-quality sleep has knock-on effects on our work, since we struggle to concentrate and become less effective. A lack of patience and irritability start creeping into both work and home life.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How to protect your mental wellbeing in winter<\/b><\/p>\n

Before things get to that point, you can also carry January’s good resolutions through the rest of the year and take care of yourself by: <\/span><\/p>\n