Blue Monday: How to Tackle the Saddest Day of the Year

Why Blue Monday? What makes the third Monday of January the saddest day of the year? And how can we face it?

An old proverb says: “Monday is Saint Grouchy!”—a way of highlighting how the first day of the week, with its return to work and the end of Sunday rest, is marked by bad moods, gloom, and general sadness. However, there is one Monday in particular during the year when this proverb takes on even greater significance: the so-called “Blue Monday“, the saddest day of the year.

The English term “blue” is commonly used to describe something sad, and “Blue Monday” is precisely that—a “sad Monday,” in fact, the saddest Monday of the year.

But what makes Blue Monday so sad? It’s simple. It is the day that marks the definitive end of the Christmas holidays. While in the past people would say “Epiphany brings an end to all festivities,” in today’s world, this role has shifted to the third Monday of January. On this day, people realise that the festive season is truly over, life has returned to its usual routines, and they begin scanning the calendar in a desperate search for the next bank holiday or opportunity to relax.

This is why Blue Monday is known as the saddest day of the year.

It was Cliff Arnall, a psychologist at Cardiff University, who identified the date and the equation to explain it. His work aimed to pinpoint a date that would be favourable for travel companies to offer attractive deals to clients, knowing that people would be more inclined to book a holiday when feeling down. He based his calculation on factors such as the weather, accumulated debts, the end of Christmas, the failure of past New Year’s resolutions, and anxiety about new ones. These elements were combined into a formula to determine the date.

Some experts even consider Blue Monday to be “Divorce Monday“, the day with the highest number of divorce proceedings initiated.

But “science” has also identified the happiest day of the year—the “Happiest Day of the Year“. This is the summer solstice, between the 21st and 24th of June, when the magical combination of sunny weather, outdoor activities, time spent in nature and with others, warm temperatures, anticipation of holidays, and nostalgic childhood memories come together to create joy.

Why Is It Called Blue Monday?

We already know that Mondays aren’t exactly beloved. They’re often referred to as Saint Grouchy’s day or, as they say in Spain, the “día de bajón” (day of the slump), or in Portugal, “o dia cinzento” (the grey day).

In English-speaking countries, the term “Smonday” has emerged to describe the depression that begins on Sunday in anticipation of the impending Monday (“Sunday” + “Monday” = “Smonday”). This concept echoes the sentiment expressed by Giacomo Leopardi in his famous poem “The Saturday of the Village”, where he compares Saturday to youth, full of happiness and expectations for maturity, and Sunday to adulthood, a time of disillusionment where dreams shatter, leaving only boredom and sadness:

“Of all the seven, this is the happiest day, full of hope and joy: tomorrow will bring sadness and boredom, and each will return to their usual toil.”

In Turkey, they speak of “pazartesi sendromu” (Monday syndrome), while in Germany, “Montagsautos” (Monday cars) are defective vehicles produced by car manufacturers on Mondays.

But why is the colour blue associated with sadness? The first known link comes from Geoffrey Chaucer, the famous 14th-century English writer. In one of his most celebrated poems, “The Complaint of Mars”, he wrote: ““With tears of blue and a wounded heart.”” Since then, numerous expressions in English and other languages have tied the colour blue to sadness, such as “feeling blue” in English or “avoir le blues” in French.

The term “Blue Monday” was first used in a press release by British television channel Sky Travel in 2005, referencing Arnall’s equation. While there’s no scientific basis behind the idea that the post-holiday slump hits hardest on this day, it’s undeniable that after spending time with family and friends in a special atmosphere far removed from everyday life, it’s normal to feel a bit down.

Additionally, after the holidays, people often feel tired, weighed down by the indulgences of festive meals, and out of step with normal routines. New Year’s resolutions blend with regrets about the past year, and outside, the days are short, the light fades quickly, and the cold seeps into both body and spirit. It doesn’t take much to feel low, does it?

How to Recover After the Christmas Holidays

So, how can you bounce back from the post-holiday blues? Prayer can help, as it often does, but sometimes a little natural assistance can work wonders in restoring balance after the indulgences of Christmas.

We recommend relying on monastic products, which offer a variety of natural supplements and herbal teas to help you recover. For those who gained a few extra kilos over Christmas, the invaluable advice of Saint Hildegard of Bingen—a pioneer in healthy eating—is always worth considering.

Our online store features excellent herbal teas with surprising effects. For example:

– “CL9 Herbal Tea“: Made with dandelion and speedwell, it offers anti-inflammatory and liver-detoxifying properties, as well as diuretic and purifying effects, perfect for normalising cholesterol levels.

– “LS3 Herbal Tea“: Combines mallow and couch grass to stimulate sluggish intestines, along with strawberry to promote youthfulness and aid weight loss.

– “DG4 Herbal Tea“: Achillea-based, it provides natural relief for heartburn and digestive discomfort, making it a great remedy for post-holiday stomach issues.

To detox and stimulate metabolism after rich meals and festive drinks, the “Snella Herbal Tea” from Camaldoli features a blend of peppermint, lemon balm, couch grass, fennel seeds, mallow, anise, chamomile, lemon, and liquorice. This herbal tea, crafted by the Ancient Pharmacy of the Camaldolese Monks using a traditional recipe, also comes in a “Digestive Herbal Tea” variety, which promotes natural digestion with its pleasantly herbal flavour.

For those struggling with Monday blues—whether post-holiday or otherwise—the “RL1 Herbal Tea” is an excellent choice. Made with plants like hawthorn, lemon balm, and passionflower, it helps relax the nervous system and combat anxiety and stress.

Finalpia Herbalist brew for cholesterol
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