How you can avoid having the bluest Blue Monday of them all

A year into the pandemic, it’s not just frigid air and dark days that have got people down.

With COVID-19 cases on the rise, and orders to stay at home, this year might seem particularly blue.

So, is this third Monday of January — “Blue Monday” — the epitome of doom and gloom?

The Star spoke with Dr. Katy Kamkar, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and wellness coach Kasandra Monid, the founder of ThinkLife Coaching, about what you can do to avoid having the bluest Monday yet.

Is Blue Monday a real thing? Do you see an increase in mental-health issues around the third Monday of January?

Scientifically speaking, no, both Monid and Kamkar said. “The term ‘Blue Monday’ was a marketing strategy launched in 2005 by a flight company to increase sales in January,” Monid said — the gloomier people felt, the more likely they might be to book a vacation in the sun. But the winter blues are real, she emphasized, adding that they affect as many as 15 per cent of people of Canada.

Kamkar said it’s normal for one’s mood to fluctuate, but if the low mood becomes chronic and the psychological symptoms increase over time, cause distress and interfere with functioning, then it’s important to seek professional help

What are the experts doing to keep on track through the pandemic?

“Creating structure in my daily life keeps me on track or grounded,” Monid said. “I practise self-care by eating good nutrition, getting proper sleep, meditating and exercising daily in the form of walking and qigong” — a mind-body practice. “Journal-writing has also been helpful in processing thoughts, feelings during this challenging time,” Monid said.

Kamkar said self-care is “individualized,” but she also emphasized healthy eating, getting a good night’s sleep and structure, with room for flexibility. “Sometimes priorities change, needs change, days of the week change,” she said. Writing a to-do list could help set you up to incorporate healthy and social activities in you day-to-day life, Kamkar suggested.