Beating the deep winter blues on ‘Blue Monday’

Ottawa resident Mark Graveline says walking his dog and keeps himself busy during the winter season. (Camille Wilson/CTV News Ottawa)

The third Monday in January, known as “Blue Monday,” is often referred to as the saddest and most depressing day of the year.

“There’s something about this time of year, the winter doldrums. It’s just the light is less. The warmth is less. The ability to connect with people is less. There does seem to be a lot less,” says Dr. Tim Lau, Interim Medical Director for Informatics and Digital Transformation at The Royal. “The Christmas bills are coming. There’s less money. There seems just to be less or a lack of things,”

Experts say you have to change how you think and change what you do and that a lot of what we can do is within our control.

“Blue Monday” all started in 2005 as a marketing campaign for a British travel company to promote people booking travel, but experts say the sadness of January resonates with people.

Lau says even though it was used as a travel ad, you can actually get that benefit without going anywhere. Just planning the trip still gives you the benefit of going.

“If you can’t afford to go on a trip, go and start planning your trips,” says Lau. “Think about what you’d want to do, and you can benefit some of that. Look for little options for anticipation and excitement.”

Due to lack of daylight get outside for 20 to 30 minutes a day, even if it’s cloudy or cold, try to keep busy and active, and connect with people, even if it’s virtually.

Lau says the winter blues are a great opportunity for us to realize that mental health is important and we all can struggle. He says Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a real thing and effects two to three per cent of the population.

Experts say it’s important to stay positive, be kind to yourself and find things to look forward to.

“I’m retired, so I get to do whatever I want to do… Got a bunch of little projects that I like doing for fun,” says Ottawa resident Mark Graveline. “I always have something on my schedule, on my calendar that I look forward to, so it breaks the monotony. And when it becomes a little much, I take off to Spain for a couple of weeks. February 8th. It’s on my calendar and I’m counting down.”

Lau says winter is not so much about fixing ourselves but realigning how we think about things.

“Bringing more light and more motion and more connection and more kindness to a season that may seem to have less is the path,” says Lau.