Blue Monday | How an infamous PR stunt can spark real conversations about mental health

January 20th  - 'Blue Monday' - is nearly upon us. Many a column inch is dedicated to this day every year and, although the concept of “most depressing day of the year” isn't exactly hard science, the concept of Blue Monday can spark the right conversations about employee wellbeing.

The term was coined by Psychologist and Life Coach, Cliff Arnall in 2004, who purportedly created a “formula” for what he deemed the “most depressing day of the year” on behalf of travel agency Sky Travel. The firm then used the phrase in a press release to promote their winter deals.

The idea that one day of the year – specifically the start of the third week of January - is the most depressing day of the year is now widely considered as pseudoscience. Nevertheless, statistics consistently point towards low levels of wellbeing in the first month of the new year.

And it’s not hard to see why. January is a cold, dark wintery month, and for many, this third week of the year is naturally the period when reality starts to sink back in, after a Christmas and New Year break.