BLUE MONDAY: A SURVIVOR’S GUIDE
It’s officially the gloomiest day of the year – here’s why, plus some advice on how you can cheer yourself up
IF DRY January, the cold snap and Brexit weren’t enough to give you the blues, brace yourself. Because today is supposedly the gloomiest day of the year. Blue Monday – as the third one in January is now dubbed – is the perfect storm of unfulfilled resolutions, broken diets, empty bank accounts, short days and no summer holidays in sight, which all conspire to put people in a thoroughly miserable mood.
The idea was conceived by a PR company in 2005 after a researcher – who worked as a tutor at Cardiff University – came up with a mathematical equation which determined that the third Monday in January is the most depressing day of the year.
“Blue Monday was created to sell summer holidays,” says Isabella Goldie, director of development and delivery at the Londonbased Mental Health Foundation. “But it fails on two levels because those who are otherwise happy are brought down by Blue Monday and for sufferers of depression, it trivialises what is a serious mental illness.”
Isabella notes that the winter months generally – not just Blue Monday in particular – are challenging because of the long, dark evenings
TOP 10 TIPS FOR LOOKING AFTER YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
1. Talk about your feelings Talking can help you deal with times when you feel troubled.
Regular exercise can boost your self-esteem and can help you concentrate, sleep, and look and feel better. Exercise keeps the brain and your other vital organs healthy, and is also significant for improving your mental health.
Your brain needs a mix of nutrients in order to stay healthy and function well, just like the other organs in your body. A diet that’s good for your physical health is also good for your mental health.
We often drink alcohol to change our and cold conditions which people to spend more time indoors.
“We know that seasonal affective disorder, a depression that occurs around the same season each year, can affect some people more than others,” she says, “but we know that mental health problems impact on people all year round and that many struggle to ask for or seek help.”
Matt Card, founder of We Are Fresh Fitness, based in the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, says it is particularly important to stick to a routine.
“Constructing better habits is important,” says Matt, who works with actors and opera singers to optimise their physical and mental performance. “Feeling fit in the mind is as important as feeling fit in your body.”
He says a huge contributory factor to Blue Monday is setting unattainable goals at New Year. “Don’t go on an extreme fitness drive because you won’t keep it up. Instead, do three simple things a day for four weeks, such as getting up an hour earlier, eating more mood. Some people drink to deal with fear or loneliness, but the effect is only temporary. When the drink wears off, you feel worse because of the way the alcohol has affected your brain and the rest of your body. Drinking is not a good way to manage difficult feelings.
There’s nothing better than catching up with someone face to face, but that’s not always possible. You can also give them a call, drop them a note, or chat to them online instead. Keep the lines of communication open.
None of us is superhuman. We all sometimes get tired or overwhelmed by how we feel or when things don’t go to plan. If things are getting too lead greens and taking 10 minutes to do something for yourself – going for a walk or meditation. After four weeks you will feel better.”
Isabella says we can also make ourselves feel better by helping others. Instead of focusing on how miserable you feel today, vow to make someone else’s day better.
“On Blue Monday carry out a random act of kindness for someone else. We are social animals and research shows that helping others can be beneficial to our own mental health. It can reduce mental and physical stress and improve emotional wellbeing.”
For some, January is a chance to reinvent ourselves. According to a new study from Job Today, the UK’s e hiring app, the number of people searching for “career change” was up by more than 40 per cent on the monthly average, and nearly double that of December.
“January might not be everyone’s favourite time of the year, but as our research shows, it’s a great time for those considering a career change,” says app founder Polina Montano. “There is no excuse to not be happy in your job, from dog-walking for animal lovers to chef roles for culinary-creatives.” much for you and you feel you can’t cope, ask for help. Your family or friends may be able to offer practical help or a listening ear. Local services are there to help you too – ask your GP for details.
A change of scene or pace is good for your mental health. It could be a five-minute pause from cleaning your kitchen, a half-hour lunch break at work, or a weekend exploring somewhere new. A few minutes can be enough to de-stress you. Give yourself some “me time”.
8. Do something you’re good at Enjoying yourself can help beat stress. Doing an activity you enjoy probably means you’re good at it, and achieving something boosts your self-esteem. 9. Accept who you are
We’re all different. It’s much healthier to accept that you are unique than to wish you were more like someone else. Feeling good about yourself boosts your confidence and inspires you to learn new skills, visit new places and make new friends. Good self-esteem also helps you cope when life takes a difficult turn.
Friends are really important and we help each other whenever we can, so it’s a two-way street.
● If you or someone you know is experiencing feelings of distress or despair, call the Samaritans. Phone 116 123 (free 24-hour helpline), www.samaritans.org
GROUCHY star and father of two John Cleese mischievously concludes: “Anyone who’s foolish enough to have children must pay the price.
“On top of the appalling costs of breeding them, you worry yourself sick about the little b ***** ds.”
Thrice-divorced Cleese, 79, adds: “The answer is: cats!”
Cleese’s two daughters – Cynthia, 47 and Camilla, 35 – are doubtlessly used to the old boy’s outbursts.
RECALLING her time as the fourth wife of late screen heart-throb Cary Grant (more than 30 years her senior) actress Dyan Cannon, pictured, tells The Lady magazine: “I’m proud to have been Mrs Cary Grant. I’m proud I was married to him.”
Now 82 she adds: “And I’m really proud I was the only woman who ever gave birth to his child.”
The couple’s daughter Jennifer arrived in 1966, only for Grant and Cannon to divorce two years later.
Marital relations were strained shortly after Jennifer’s birth, when Dyan discovered Grant had given away their pet Yorkshire terrier without consulting her. He was anxious in case the pampered pooch would be jealous of the baby.
RIGHTLY hailed as one of the nicest women in showbusiness, the versatile Dame June Whitfield – whose funeral took place on Friday – was not afraid to prove her talents when the moment required it.
Fellow entertainer Rod Hudd recalls mentioning to Dame June during a pantomime run of Dick Whittington in which they were both starring that he was looking for someone to play Margaret Thatcher in his popular radio show The News Huddlines.
“Miss Whitfield shrugged and said, ‘Oh I see,’” he remembers.
“The next day, during the matinee, the Fairy (Whitfield) entered to referee the fight between the Cat and the Rat.
“She gave the contestants their instructions in an uncanny impression of the Iron Lady.
“I put my head round the wings and called out: ‘June! You’ve got the job!’”