Blue Monday is a very real thing and no, it’s not just a New Order song. The third Monday of January was designated the most “depressing” day of the year in 2005 by a travel company that claimed they found this out via a special equation. Whether or not an equation actually determined that to be true or it’s just a great marketing ploy, January is depressing. And it’s not even just January…it’s winter as a whole. Seasonal depression hits its absolute peak in January. It’s blustery and still pretty dark. Work is mostly slow and the optimism of the brand new year slowly starts to disintegrate. It’s just so cold the only thing that sounds remotely appealing is curling up in a warm blanket and finally binge-watching Emily in Paris, the one thing everyone mentions to me almost daily I NEED to watch, but still haven’t.

Winter can be really hard and, while we are going to be on the hill towards spring here in a little bit, it can still be pretty hard to manage. With Blue Monday being this coming Monday, here are some things to do when you’re just feeling pretty bleh. While these are helpful, I am no mental health expert. Should you feel in a really down place, find someone to talk to. Don’t compare yourself to the highlight reels on Instagram and really just remember it’s okay to take personal time and to just be not okay. I feel pretty down at the moment, but the best thing is to acknowledge that it’s happening, but remember it is a storm. It will pass even if it feels like it’s taking too long.

Get Active

This is probably the one thing I find most important and one of the toughest battles in winter. It’s just so darn cold. Who wouldn’t want to spend all their time curled up and indulging in warm snacks? The default setting of winter is hibernate after all. Feeling incredibly tired is okay, but I feel so much better when I get active. Exercise is known to boost moods, reduce stress, and it’s just good for your overall health. Some mornings it feels like I’m dragging myself out of bed to get to the gym and get active, but once I’ve done it, I feel so much better and thankful that I have done it. If attending the gym isn’t a thing, it’s really easy to go for a jog, a walk, do a home workout on youtube like pilates or yoga, or just dance it out. Anything that gets the heart pumping increases the good chemicals, and warms you up is a good choice. Don’t forget, you can always do the 5-minute test - start doing the activity for 5 minutes, check-in with yourself, and go from there. If you stop, at least you made the attempt which is better than nothing at all!

Try Light Therapy

This one feels a bit strange given I’m from a place where it is sunny 350 days a year, but the truth is, winter is quite rainy and moody. Plus my apartment doesn’t face any sort of sun so it just always feels dark. So I can’t really imagine what it’s like living in a place where you’re begging for sunlight. Luckily there is light therapy. Light therapy is done through lamps that give you exposure to artificial light that mimics the sun. It helps keep the body’s natural rhythm on track and helps relieve the effects of seasonal depression and the winter blehs. You can get a lamp on Amazon or find a million articles recommending the best ones. All you do is utilize the lamp during the day and your brain will adjust to the chemicals you’d typically produce on a sunny day. What I love is these lamps can be used while working to help boost productivity and alertness or even used during wake up to help ease one into their day where it might otherwise be dark - signaling more sleep.

Stick To Your Routine

For the last couple of years routine has been almost key to keeping sanity when everything feels like it’s spinning out of control no matter what one does. It might sound counterintuitive to make the days start to feel the same. They are probably already running together and it’s hard to remember it’s even Wednesday today. Only having a few options due to the pandemic can already have us feeling bored and bleh - and with winter the options are even smaller. Routines are really good for when I’m having trouble staying motivated, overwhelmed, or feeling like I’d rather just lay in bed all day. i know exactly what I need to be doing and how it is going to set up my day. You don’t have to have a heavily structured daily routine where you’re doing the same thing every day. Not every day is the same. Some days there are virtual meetings and on weekends my routine might be determined entirely tasks. Routines help decrease stress and improve well-being. I love incorporating new routines when things start to feel stale. Things like a 5-minute gratitude journal or checking out a new podcast. Even the smallest things can make an impact.

Try a New Hobby

When in doubt, try something new! Over the span of the pandemic thus far there has been plenty of activities we’ve all tried. There were the weeks we were all making sourdough starters and building islands in Animal Crossing. With the winter blehs, it’s all too easy to turn to Netflix and a nap. Having a hobby or doing something you are passionate about is a good way to be mindful of your time and beat the bleh feeling. It gives you something to look forward to doing whether it’s when you get home from work, the end of a long day, or just on the weekend when you get a free second. While it’s not a new hobby I have gotten to fall in love with blogging again and not just blogging but creating. I look forward to the time I’ve set aside to make content and write. It’s another way of releasing the good chemicals and bringing joy to our lives. Maybe you don’t have a hobby you love or can fall in love with again, this is the opportunity to try something new, to learn something new with an online class, or maybe just start checking things off a list of things you meant to do. I’ve seen tons of people setting book goals and I’ve even set myself tiny challenges like watching tons of classic films I’ve never seen. Bake, color, learn to cook…read - whatever is going to light a spark within you.