Blue Monday Is Not True!
Since 2005, the third Monday of January has been dubbed the most depressing day of the year and has been nicknamed Blue Monday. Originally, the choice of this date was presented as the result of an equation taking into account the lack of light and the nostalgia of the end-of-year holidays. But, under its pseudo-scientific allure, this assertion would only be a sham. Explanations.
Marketing rather than science
At its inception in the United Kingdom in 2005, Blue Monday or the saddest day of the year was presented as the result of a very serious equation.
The choice of this date was indeed justified by a kind of 'mathematical formula' taking into account various factors such as lack of light, winter weather and nostalgia for the end of year holidays, not to mention the good New Year's resolutions that are so hard to keep...
But, despite appearances, this denomination of the most depressing day of the year has no scientific basis. It would rather be a successful marketing stunt.
If it is little known in France, this Monday of depression has made a lot of talk in the UK. In 2009, it was notably the subject of a communication campaign called BeatBlueMonday aimed at encouraging consumers to take care of themselves in order to fight against the ambient gloom.
An invention for a travel agency
The man who developed the equation behind Blue Monday is called Cliff Arnall and was, for a time, presented as a psychologist from Cardiff University.
But, in truth, he never published any research. He is said to have simply lent his name to a public relations agency working on behalf of the British travel agency Sky Travel.
In 2018, Cliff Arnall returned to the invention of 'Blue Monday'. He revealed that he was asked to calculate the time of year when consumers were most likely to think about booking their next vacation!
To determine the factors of his famous equation, he would have used testimonies heard during workshops on happiness and stress management... This explains why these factors are very vague, difficult to quantify and without any scientific basis.
Moreover, no serious study has yet managed to determine a particular date that would be more depressing than another.
A self-fulfilling prophecy
Another problem raised by Blue Monday is that it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. In other words, if you state that a day will be particularly sad, that statement alone will help make the prophecy come true.
Telling the general public that a date is the most depressing day of the year may be enough to create a sense of gloom and prompt consumers to respond by making certain purchases, such as booking their next vacation! For all these reasons, Depressing Monday is just a sham invented for marketing purposes.
In conclusion, even if it is true that Monday is not the happiest day of the week and that the lack of light can promote seasonal depression in winter, you can consider all the claims about the saddest Monday of the year as fake news ... If you feel that the gloom is getting to you on this Monday of January, don't be fooled: Blue Monday, it's not true!
