Blue Monday: Mental Health Myth or Meaningful Reminder?

The phrase "Blue Monday" tends to resurface like clockwork every January. Marked as a low point in the calendar, it’s often treated as a day to expect — or try to avoid — feeling down. But where did this idea come from, and why does it keep showing up?

Every January, talk of “Blue Monday” starts to pop up across newsfeeds, ads, and social media. It’s usually marked as the third Monday of the month and is often described as the “saddest day of the year.” But how much truth is there to this gloomy label?

Where Did Blue Monday Come From?

The idea of Blue Monday was created in 2005 by psychologist Cliff Arnall. It wasn’t part of a research project — it was part of a marketing campaign for a travel company that no longer exists.

Arnall came up with a formula based on things like weather, post-holiday debt, low motivation, and how long it had been since Christmas.

The formula was meant to figure out the most depressing day of the year, but the variables were too vague and inconsistent to hold any real weight.

Experts have since pointed out that the concept is pseudoscientific. There’s no solid research supporting the idea that one particular day is worse than all the others.

According to Dr. Dimitrios Paschos, a consultant psychiatrist, “Population-level research does not support the idea of a single ‘most depressing’ day. Large studies suggest mental well-being fluctuates across the week, often dipping mid-week rather than on Mondays.”

Why It Still Feels Real

Even though the science doesn’t hold up, the idea of Blue Monday has stuck. A big reason is that it reflects how a lot of people already feel this time of year.

January can be tough — it’s dark, cold, and often financially tight after the holidays. Many are dealing with the crash that comes after a busy, emotional season.

Therapist Chloë Bean points out that while Blue Monday isn’t scientifically real, the emotional experience can be:

“We’re meaning-making creatures and culturally we’ve learned the story that Mondays are dreadful, work is draining, and winter is something to push through.”

The expectation that Mondays — and January in general — will be hard can turn into a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy.

As Paschos explains, “When people anticipate feeling low on a particular day, they may unconsciously scan for evidence that confirms this belief.”

Coping Without Buying into the Hype

Whether or not you believe in Blue Monday, it’s not a bad idea to slow down and check in with how you’re feeling.

Bean suggests tuning into your emotions instead of pushing through. She recommends small actions like getting outside in the morning, planning something pleasant for Monday night, or even just stretching, journaling, or calling a friend:

“The blues can be both a story we’ve inherited and a signal from the body that something needs attention or support.”

Paschos echoes this approach. He advises focusing on things you can actually change — sleep, routines, connection, and setting small, realistic goals.

“The most helpful response to January distress is not a label, but compassionate self-care and practical support to others,” he says.

Blue Monday might not be a real phenomenon, but it still opens the door to talk about mental health. Rather than bracing for a bad day, it may be more helpful to use it as a reminder to care for yourself and check in with others — without the pressure of living up to a label.