January can be a great month for many different reasons, most of all that a new year has just begun that we can use to fulfil our New Year’s resolutions and achieve any number of other things we’ve decided to put out minds to.
However, a cold, cloudy January can also be quite the comedown after the festive holiday season that preceded it, one that was filled with the very scrumptious dishes that caused us to gain the weight we’re
The History of Blue Monday
Blue Monday was created back in 2005 by Sky Travel Shop, a television channel devoted exclusively to programs about travelling, documentaries and commercials for travel agencies. The day was originally part of a publicity campaign, but later gained popularity and its share of both supporters and opponents, and seems to generally be here to stay.
The date varies from year to year, depending on a variety of factors, such as weather, debt, the time that has passed since Christmas day, the time that has passed since we failed at fulfilling our New Year’s resolutions, low motivational levels connected with previous failures, and the need to take action. The formula for calculating which day is the “bluest” day of the year has been mocked by many academics as pseudoscience, as it does not use any specific units and does not seem to be particularly foolproof.
Nevertheless, it was published under the name of Cliff Arnall, who had at that time been a tutor at the Centre for Lifelong Learning, a Further Education center attached to Cardiff University.
How to Celebrate Blue Monday
Pseudoscience or not, there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a look at the month of January with an open mind, and being honest with yourself as to what you could try your best to do better at for the remainder of the year. Failed New Year’s resolutions are very common, so if you have in fact failed at persevering, now would be a great time to think a bit about why that is and how that could have been avoided. Next, you can create a new resolution or two and, wiser now than before, succeed at them this time around.
Think about how you managed your resolutions, and if you didn’t set yourself up for failure right off the bat by creating unrealistic expectations of yourself. Did you decide to go vegan starting January first? Going vegan is a big move, and of course an honorable one, but it is also quite challenging, especially if you were eating steaks and yogurt and and sunny-side up eggs just the day before.
Deciding that you will suddenly cut every single animal product could be much more of a sacrifice than your body is ready to make literally overnight, and so you may find yourself sliding withing a few days, only to feel miserable for failing. So instead of going vegan, perhaps go vegetarian for a while first to help your body get accustomed to your new eating habits. Then, after a few months, when you feel ready, it will be time to take the next step. In short, take this day to re-plan your resolutions so you can get them right the next time around.
