Blue Monday: The most stressful day of the year?

They call it “Blue Monday”. It’s the first business day of one of the last weeks of the first month of the year, and according to some, it’s the most depressing and stressful day of the year.

But where did all of this come from? According to the CTV, the makeshift holiday can be traced back to a 2005 publicity stunt conducted by Sky Travel, who wanted to encourage folks to embark on more January vacations. They reached out to Cliff Arnall, a former lecturer at Cardiff University, who devised a “scientific” method in order to deduce the most depressing and stressful spot on the calendar.

Thrown into the “formula” were the weather, the proximity to Christmas, the probability of having given up on one’s New Year’s resolution, and general motivation levels. Apparently, these all computed to equal the annual “Blue Monday” celebration date, which, in 2015, fell on Jan. 19.

An Alberta poll conducted by ATB Financial actually tied some validity to these claims. “The poll found that 46 per cent of Albertans are feeling above-average to high levels of stress this month,” reported the CBC.

Many cited lack of sleep or financial stress as the reasons behind their poll answers.

These findings have some individuals digging harder into their “Blue Monday” camps, while others aren’t so sure. Dean Burnett, a neuroscientist and current Cardiff lecturer, finds all of this “Blue Monday” talk a little bit far-fetched.

"This claim is incorrect. It is unscientific. It is pseudoscientific. It is uber-pseudoscientific,” Burnett is quoted as saying.

Regardless of which day of the year is the MOST depressing and stressful, this time of year certainly offers up some unique triggers do to the aforementioned factors, such as gloomy weather and financial strains. Identifying these realities and making plans to adjust may be the first steps towards weathering the storm.

About the Founder

Dr. Henry Svec

Dr. Henry Svec is a the director of The Stess Vaccine, co-author of The ADHD Fix (www.theadhdfix.com) and a registered psychologist in the Province of Ontario, and licensed psychologist in the State of Michigan. He received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University, and his B.A., B. Ed. and M.Ed. from the University of Western Ontario where he played football for four years and won two National Championships.

Henry is married, with three children. He enjoys fishing and skiing. The Dr. Svec Institute of Psychological Services has offices in London, Windsor, Chatham and Sarnia. The Institute is available to help adults, children and couples of all ages www.drsvec.com.

Dr. Henry Svec has spent the past twenty years helping children and adults with ADHD achieve success by developing tools and strategies to overcome associated obstacles.