Blue Monday 2026: Why is this Monday heralded as the most depressing of the year?
SUMMARY :
The Blue Monday (literally “Blue Monday” or Depressing Monday in English) is the nickname for the most depressing day of the year that coincides with each year
the 3rd Monday in January. In 2026 it falls on Monday, January 19th.
A psychologist put together the equation of the weather, the financial setback of the end-of-year holidays, and early-year motivations faltering and concluded that this day would push us to move on from those we’re trying to forget as quickly as possible.
What is the origin of Blue Monday?
It all started in 2005: British psychologist Cliff Arnall said he had developed a mathematical formula to calculate the most depressing day of the year. Weather, salaries, debt, lack of motivation, the feeling of needing change, the time since Christmas, the time since you didn’t achieve your resolutions are the variables in this calculation. It goes without saying that some of these values are difficult to quantify.
He has since admitted this himself his method was not scientific : It was the travel agency Sky Travel that commissioned a study to determine the most depressing day of the year, while itself wanting to communicate the benefits of traveling in January, a real marketing coup. Since then, this idea has been widely taken up, even if it has no concrete basis. Overwhelmed by the extent of the phenomenon, the author is now even campaigning for its abolition!
Why is Monday always harder?
Even though we know that the third Monday in January isn’t necessarily more depressing than the other Mondays of the month, the fact remains that the first day of the week is rarely a particularly euphoric day. Even when working remotely, many people find it difficult to manage the week due to “social jet lag” caused by the slower pace on weekends.
And while the variable “weather” is difficult to quantify, the winter months are not the easiest for many people, especially due to seasonal affective disorder.
What formula was used to declare Blue Monday?
The day of Blue Monday was calculated according to the Calculation formulas the following: “The weather plus the difference in debt incurred during the holidays times the effective ability to repay before the next payday, multiplied by the time elapsed since Christmas by the exponent, the time elapsed since our New Year’s resolutions, divided by the lack of motivation, multiplied by the need for action“. However, let’s remember this Professor Arnall has since questioned the accuracy of this formula.
How do you combat Blue Monday?
So things are not looking good this Monday, January 20, 2025. Unless you decide to take the opposite approach this Blue Monday (that works for other days too). Here’s how:
- Wish everyone you meet today a nice day. This empathy should be contagious
- Treat yourself to a bouquet of flowers to add some color to this gray January day
- Take advantage of the winter sales to buy this little top in spring colors that will already make you think of the sunny days that are (slowly but surely) approaching. And before that Choose your color. Remember that yellow is revitalizing, orange is tonic, and red increases vitality
- Use a light therapy lamp if necessary.
