Blue Monday: The Science of Low Mood, the Myth Behind It, and Why It Matters More Than One Day
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What Is Blue Monday and Why Does It Get So Much Attention?
Every January, headlines declare the ‘most depressing day of the year’ — Blue Monday.
It usually lands on the third Monday in January, right when Christmas feels like a distant memory, the New Year’s novelty has faded, and spring still feels too far away to taste.
But here’s the truth:
Blue Monday is not a scientific diagnosis. It was a marketing concept invented to sell more flights and products.
Yet… the fact that the idea caught on so quickly tells us something important. This time of year does stir up something real in many of us.
Why January Feels Heavy: The Real Science Behind Low Mood
1. The comedown after anticipation
Humans are wired for anticipation.
In the lead-up to Christmas and New Year, our brains bathe in dopamine including planning, preparing, socialising, rushing and imagining. Even if the holidays are stressful, they still give us something to look forward to.
Then January arrives.
The contrast is sharp. The sudden quietness can feel like stepping into an emotional vacuum.
2. Less daylight, more heaviness
The post-holiday slump also collides with the darkest month of the year. Reduced sunlight impacts:
• Melatonin (sleep regulation)
• Serotonin (mood stabilization)
• Circadian rhythms (energy and motivation)
It’s normal to feel slower, lower, even slightly disoriented.
3. The pressure of ‘new year, new you’
January often becomes a month of expectation:
• Set goals
• Reinvent yourself
• Break old habits
• Start fresh
• Start the wheel again
But for many, resolutions only highlight the gap between where you are and where you want to be. Instead of inspiration, it can trigger self-criticism, disappointment and shame.
So while Blue Monday as a concept is fabricated, the emotional dip many people experience during this season is very real.
But let’s be clear… ‘Blue Monday’ was designed to sell you something.
The Truth Behind Blue Monday: A Marketing Strategy, Not Psychology
The term ‘Blue Monday’ originated in a PR campaign by a travel company to boost winter sales. A pseudo-formula was created, suggesting that a mix of weather, debt and failed resolutions could mathematically determine the most depressing day of the year.
It wasn’t science.
It was marketing psychology, a clever way to tap into collective vulnerability and hjjack our brains. And yet… it resonated because many people recognised themselves in it. People weren’t depressed but just felt a little lost, perhaps just ‘off’ or a sense that something internal wasn’t comfortable.
That Feeling of ‘Something Isn’t Right’… Even If You Can’t Name It
For many people, the weeks after Christmas bring subtle emotional signals:
• “I feel flat”
• “I’m tired but can’t switch off”
• “I should feel more motivated”
• “Nothing is really wrong, but nothing feels right either”
You may have tried:
• New Year’s resolutions
• Journaling
• Exercise
• A new routine
• Even therapy (sometimes with mixed results)
And yet something inside still whispers:
“I don’t feel fully myself”
All of these are part of helpful transformation, if done in collaboration with therapy providing a clear structure and accountability
It’s not failure… it’s feedback.
Your mind is signalling that you’re ready for a more grounded, integrated, long-term shift, not a quick fix or another motivational high.
Introducing the Root & Rise Up Programme
If you’re feeling stuck in that in-between place — not at rock bottom, but not thriving either — this is exactly who the Root & Rise Up programme was created for.
It’s for people who:
• Know something needs to change
• Have tried traditional routes
• Feel a subtle but persistent sense of internal misalignment
• Want to understand themselves on a deeper level
• Are ready for practical, sustainable, gentle transformation
Root & Rise Up helps you:
🌱 Root — understand your emotional cycles, unmet needs, and internal patterns
🌿 Regulate — develop tools that actually work for your nervous system
🌼 Rise — rebuild meaning, motivation, and identity from a grounded place
Not through pressure.
Not through resolutions.
Not through “fixing yourself.”
But through compassionate, evidence-based, guided inner work.
If this time of year is making you pause, reflect or feel a little unsteady, that’s not a problem… it’s an invitation. If you’re ready to explore that invitation, you can learn more about the Root & Rise Up Programme by contacting us here.
