So you survived Friday the 13th just to be hit in the face with Blue Monday.
‘Blue Monday’ comes just as the Christmas and party season becomes a distant memory and the January blues officially begin to set in.
‘Blue Monday’, falling this year on January 16th, is often referred to as the most depressing day of the year. With the festive season over, the weather being colder, nights being longer and the cost of living crisis pushing up costs but not necessarily pay it can end up leading to more people feeling down and depressed.
Blue Monday is also notorious for having a spike in job hunting. A jobs platform in the UK, Breakroom, has surveyed why there is such an uptake in people searching for new jobs in January with nearly 450,000 participants. The results showed majority of people wanting an increase in their pay, more flexibility and less stressful roles.
The CEO and Co-Founder of Breakroom, Anna Maybank commented;
‘This generation of job seekers is not only comparing pay and hours but looking at a range of factors including flexibility, stress and if they feel valued by their employer.’
Breakroom research also found that over two-thirds (68%) of shift workers admit to suffering the January blues and finding their jobs a lot less enjoyable than they did before Christmas.
Turn2Me, an Irish mental health charity, has stated that they expect to see an increase in anxiety and stress levels. In the midst of these wrecked New Year’s resolutions, filthy weather and coming down from all the over eating it is important to look after your mental health.
“We expect to see a lot of people engaging with our free mental health services on Blue Monday,” Fiona O’Malley, CEO of Turn2Me, said.
“It can be a stressful and anxious time for many people. There are lots of ways to improve these levels of stress and anxiety like practicing self-care, reducing alcohol intake, being around nature, meeting a friend for a walk or a cup of coffee, journaling, yoga and getting enough sleep. Turn2Me offers up to six free counseling sessions to every adult in Ireland and unlimited support groups on anxiety, depression, grief, and relationship issues.”
If you’re looking for something to pick you up today, why not ask a friend or loved one to grab a coffee or lunch or even grab a coffee. Go for a walk or do some exercise to make you feel good.
If you have some extra cash why not book a holiday to have something to look forward to later in the year. You could also just make plans with some friends for the weekend to make the rest of the week easier as well.
And if you’re feeling too down always make sure to talk to someone, Turn2Me is running free mental health services for anyone struggling with their mental health in 2023. They offer one-to-one counselling sessions as well as free support groups. To sign up to any of these free services go to Turn2Me.ie