Novus Blog

Blue Monday falls on the third Monday of every new year, and is considered to be the most depressing day in the calendar. So with this in mind we asked a Novus Mental Health First Aider, what advice they would give to help beat those mid-January blues.

Christmas seems a long time ago already…

How can it only be 3 weeks ago?

Anyway, it’s safe to say we are well into the new year and many of us are getting stuck back into work and setting objectives for 2021 whether this be professional or personal. (How many of you are still sticking to your new year’s resolution?)

January is infamous for being one of the most depressing times of the year for many reasons – dark nights, the few extra pounds put on from Christmas, dwindling bank balance, and that’s not to mention the added pinch of pandemic added to the recipe this year too.

Beating Blue Monday

Blue Monday falls on the third Monday of every new year, and is considered to be the most depressing day in the calendar.

Some of the feelings associated with feeling blue could be; depression, sleep problems, lethargy, overeating, irritability, and feeling down and unsociable.

So with this in mind, we asked Novus’s Social Value and CSR Partner, and Mental Health First Aider, Kevin Rhone what advice he would give to beat Blue Monday this year.

“I think most people feel life is a little bit extra challenging in the winter, cold weather, dark nights etc, and I think most people will have experience some form of feeling a little bit blue.”

So here are my 5 tips to beat Blue Monday:

1. See your family and friends –

It can be all too easy to hibernate during the winter, and I realise that seeing family and friends can be even more challenging during lockdowns.

But, be sure to make time to see/speak to your friends and family, whether this be through phone calls, facetime or going for a walk with someone (check with Gov guidelines in your area first though!).

I believe this has a massively positive impact on your wellbeing.

2. Set some personal goals –

Big or small, give yourself something to work towards.

Ideas might include exercising once a week, playing with the kids each day, finishing that mothballed DIY project from the last lockdown, starting an online training course, or simply just setting a to-do list each day with mini-goals.

The days and weeks can run away from you so by setting goals you can look back and feel happy and have a sense of achievement.

3.Look after yourself –

Eating well, drinking lots of water, getting enough sleep, and keeping active are key to looking after yourself.

Although it can be very hard to get motivated to go for a walk, run or do a workout in your front room, if you do fight the urge to sit on the sofa, it is amazing how much better you feel afterwards.

Often you’ll find you weren’t tired at all, you were just feeling sluggish and feel a lot more awake and energised after the exercise.

Give it a try!

4. Do something for you –

Between juggling work, family, and other commitments, it can sometimes be a challenge to do find the time to do something you enjoy.

So if you have a hobby or an interest, be sure to make time for it.

Whether it is cooking, reading a book, exercising or watching a movie, make some ‘me’ time part of your weekly routine.

5. Plan Something to look forward to –

Whether it is looking forward to something at the end of the week, or looking forward to something a bit further away (or a combination of both), knowing you have things to look forward helps create positive feelings.

It could be something as simple as cooking your favourite meal on a Friday evening, movie night with family or something a bit more extravagant such as booking a holiday for later in the year.

Having something to look forward to will keep you motivated and feeling positive.

Thank you for reading and I hope the above helps. If you have any other tips or advice for beating the blues, we would love to hear, so please use the comment section on our social media post.