Cliff Arnall, the psychologist who coined the term “Blue Monday”, has acknowledged that it was all a PR stunt for the defunct travel company Sky Travel.
When he set the date, he was based on what thousands of people have said during stress management or happiness workshops, who pointed to the third Monday in January as particularly depressing.
Björn Hedensjö believes that there may be something in the fact that this particular day is said to be the most depressing. A long period of darkness and the fact that it is the poorest period of the year are two reasons he points out:
– You don’t need research studies for everything. Just look out the window.
Seasonal moodiness
There can be connections between people’s mood and seasons, according to Björn Hedensjö.
Seasonal changes, for example when summer turns into autumn or winter turns into spring, are periods that affect the mood of many people.
– It is something you see when you work clinically. Many are autumn depressed and think the darkness is heavy and makes you tired.
Spring is also a time that can trigger mental illness.
– Many describe it as turning on a big lamp that makes you see how untidy it is at home and makes you feel pale and ugly.
In the player above, Björn Hedensjö gives his three best tips on how to avoid depression.