The winter months are hard on many people. However, there is one day that is sadder than all the others – and that should always be the third Monday of the year. So today.
The theory comes from the British psychologist Cliff Arnall, the idea behind it: things like weather, money and motivation have a direct impact on people’s well-being. The researcher even came up with an equation: According to this, January is cloudy, the bank balance is low after the holidays, the Christmas season with all its glitter is over and the good resolutions have long since been broken.
The formula that Arnall came up with clearly points to this so-called “Blue Monday”. The name comes from the English word “blue”, which not only refers to the color blue, but can also mean “sad” or “depressed”.
Not science
“The idea is quite funny, but the scientific basis for the claim is quite thin,” says Astrid Jorda, therapist at the Institute for Psychotherapy at the Kepler University Hospital in Linz. “Happiness is very individual and difficult to compare.” Cliff Arnall had to take a lot of criticism for his thesis, but a lot of his theory is justified, says the Linz depth psychologist. “Christmas with all the lights is over, it’s gray and foggy outside in many places, the summer holidays are still a long way off. And it’s still Monday too. None of that necessarily contributes to great feelings of happiness.” In addition, Advent is a time of community and celebration. “In January that will be gone and you’ll be a lone fighter again, so to speak,” says Astrid Jorda.
In terms of feeling, the researcher is right, says the psychotherapist and advises using this time as an opportunity. “To pause for a moment and come back down to earth.”
It helps to take good care of yourself and, ideally, have a few healthy days. “Maybe give up sugar and alcohol for a week, go out into nature or go to the sauna. You’ll see that you’ll feel much better and more energetic afterwards.” And with Carnival, the next festival season is practically “just around the corner”.
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to the e-paper Valerie Hader
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