Today is Blue Monday, supposedly the most depressing day of the year. Or is it? Actually, it’s completely fake – Psychologist Chris Arnall in 2004 was asked to come up with a ‘scientific formula’ for the January Blues in order to market holidays by a travel agent. Clever – because it worked.
However, a study in 2024* showed there was no scientific basis for this, based on a lack of significant increase of suicide attempts or number of people presenting at emergency departments with depression as their presenting complaint on this day compared to any other given day in the year.
Misinformation like this is often widely believed. For example the hashtag #bluemonday has 72.6 thousand posts on TikTok** as of lunchtime 19th January 2026. While many of these videos might poke fun at the concept of Blue Monday, widespread misinformation, especially on social media, can impact people’s mental health by increasing anxiety, stress and confusion in people who might not understand mental health and illness well. It can also cause people to have lower trust generally in mental health information, even information that comes from reliable sources.
That said, January for students can be hard. You’re either just finished your exams before Christmas, or facing into them right after the break. The weather is miserable, and you’re possibly being a bit hard on yourself with regards to new years’ resolutions. The fun of the Christmas break is passed and you’re starting down the barrel of a new semester. It’s understandable that your mood might feel a bit low, even if you don’t normally struggle with your mental health.
But there are some things that might help. Counselling services are on campus with the sole purpose of students having someone to talk to about their mental health. There are many charities providing free services too (you can find a list of them here). If your mental health is impacting your ability to do exams or engage in your college work, speak to your lecturers, your students’ union or your GP.
Try and plan some things to look forward to – they don’t have to be big or expensive – a cozy evening in, or meeting a mate for a coffee or a walk can help to break up the monotony of this time of year. Even though the weather can be terrible, trying to get outside for a little bit during daylight, and moving your body everyday if you can will both help with your circadian rhythm and your dopamine levels.
It can sound preachy, but it is important to remember that winter is hard, but that it passes. Brighter days are coming. In the meantime, if you are struggling, please reach out for help. Blue Monday might be fake, but mental illness is real, and you deserve help if you’re struggling.
*Botica, A., Baković, M., Strikić, M., Delić, A., & Glavina, T. (2024). The peak of the ‘Blue Monday’ depression and winter blues. European Psychiatry, 67(S1), S529–S529. doi:10.1192/j.eurpsy.2024.1099.
**source: Tiktok.com
Recent Comments