The third Monday of January is known as Blue Monday – statistically the saddest day of the year.

Started as a marketing campaign by Sky Travel in 2005, Blue Monday has been dismissed by scientists, yet it can still be seen across social media each year.

The original ‘formula’ used takes into account weather conditions, time since Christmas, time since New Year’s Resolutions have been broken, motivation levels and debt levels. Whilst it cannot scientifically be nailed down to a single day, it’s worth considering all of these factors.

January is a month that brings pressure to make changes – the mantra ‘new year, new you’ being spread around endlessly. However, for many people, a new year doesn’t bring a time of change. We are still deep in a financial crisis causing daily stress, people are being overworked and underpaid, and for many, a new year marks a new year without a loved one, or another anniversary of their passing – an annual reminder of that sadness.

Wanting to improve your life isn’t a bad thing, and a new year is certainly a great time to do it, if you have the willpower and commitment. In a time when there are already so many negative factors piled into one – poor weather, failed New Year’s Resolutions, debt levels and the like – perhaps the pressure is too much, and in fact we need to take things one at a time.

If you need support, we would suggest visiting Mind’s website for information and resources: https://www.mind.org.uk/

At Notaro Care Homes, we put the mental health of our staff and the residents of our homes first. We have a variety of activities taking place throughout the week in the homes and our homes have been designed to have a calming atmosphere with spaces to relax and enjoy the outdoors.