Bog Off To Blue Monday

On 2nd January 2020
By Deborah Bulcock
2 Comments

It’s a Monday in January, usually the 3^rd Monday, that is characterised as the most depressing day of the year. How depressing is that?!!

In 2020 the so-called Blue Monday falls on the 20^th of January and I’m sure there will be news reports and phone-ins galore on the subject. You just watch out for it – and under no circumstances let it bring you down.

Where Did Blue Monday Originate From?

I believe that Blue Monday was developed as a marketing concept within the travel sector some years ago and a bit of googling tells me that others also believe it to have that origin too.

Of course, it wasn’t just completely plucked out of thin air but was based on the principle that a whole load of different factors converge which have the effect of plunging people into despair (and of course, looking to book a holiday!).

Things like:

Fully back into work, school and the daily grind after the festive break
New year’s resolutions that have fallen by the wayside
Bank balance suffering after festive spending and the long wait to payday
Still in the midst of dark mornings and nights
Lurgy, sniffles, coughs, and colds at their peak

Oh my word, I’m feeling low just writing this! It’s time to buck the trend, don’t you think?

Is Blue Monday A Self-Fulfilling Concept?

Given that Blue Monday has taken on a life of its own, is now a firm part of our calendar, and that we’ll be told over and over again that we should be feeling at our lowest on Jan 20^th – is it possible that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy?

The more negativity that is thrown at us, the worse we end up feeling. I wasn’t joking when I said I felt low just writing that list above.

It can be really easy for other people and external bodies to be telling us how we are feeling, how things should be impacting us, how we should respond to events or people or even the weather. And the more we hear these messages, the more believable they become.

I’m sure for anyone who is already experiencing any form of mental ill-health or for someone going through a particularly difficult time, the concept of Blue Monday can only serve to make things worse.

So I Say Bog Off To Blue Monday!

Yes, there was nearly another word beginning with B used in the title, but I decided to tone it down a little haha! Instead, it’s time to say goodbye to Blue Monday and hello to Blooming Brilliant Monday – what do you think?

Ultimately we can choose what we listen to and what we are influenced by. I’m not saying that’s always easy, but it is definitely within each of us to do that. The more we are in tune with how we are really feeling, the more we can do something about it.

And it’s just as OK to feel low as it is to feel high. Life is a roller-coaster for everyone with all the natural ups and downs we experience.

This year, don’t let people tell you how you should be feeling on Monday 20^th January. Let’s actively choose something different!

Introducing Blooming Brilliant Monday

Let’s think about it differently. Monday 20^th January 2020 is going to be Blooming Brilliant!

You will have just experienced a weekend which will have undoubtedly contained moments of joy – whether you were at work or home
You will likely to be heading into work – employment that provides for you and your family
Fresh in your mind will be the recent festivities and the generosity and love that surrounded us all
You’re looking ahead into 2020 with a sense of adventure and excitement at what you want it to bring you
You’ve tried something new in January, and whether you’re still doing it or not, it’s fantastic that you tried it

And there we go. What an amazing Monday to look forward to!

What would you be adding to this list?

Notes Of Positivity To Reverse The Trend

Saying all of that, I do fully appreciate that this time of year can be challenging for lots of people. A concept like Blue Monday doesn’t take off like this if it doesn’t resonate with people!

It’s just that we don’t have to be influenced by how others tell us we should be feeling. Let’s feel how we feel, acknowledge that, know how we want to feel, and if there’s a difference between the two take a small step towards it.

To help you with this I’ve created a short worksheet called ‘Notes Of Positivity To Help You Thrive’ that gives you something to consider each day for a week. It’s yours to download free and I hope it’s inspiring for you.

Follow Your Own Path With Purpose and Courage

The key message from all of this is for us all to have the courage and confidence to follow our own path, be who we really are, and feel our feelings as we need to. Let’s learn and draw positive energy from others. Let’s do our absolute best to avoid letting others bring us down.

If you’ve read my book ‘Have It All Without Burning Out’ you’ll know that this isn’t something that comes easy to me, and so I understand what the struggle looks like. But the prize of authenticity is truly liberating and it’s worth pushing for. My bestselling book can help with that.