In terms of mood, many of us experience January as the low point of the year, when the excesses of the Christmas season give way to the harsh realities of everyday life. According to researchers, a depressing litany of cold and rain, unpaid bills, broken resolutions and family strife produces a marked increase in the number of negative-sounding tweets, complaints about the weather and divorce enquiries during the weeks of January.
They’ve even worked out a formula, based on the combination of these factors with the number of days since the end of the holidays, to pinpoint “Blue Monday” January 18 in 2016 – as the very day which we can confidently expect to be the glummest of the whole year!
Though there is a lot of pseudo-science around Blue Monday, it is undeniably true that the festive season exposes many of us to stresses and strains we could probably do without. It is important to distinguish between feeling glum, which everyone experiences on a wet Monday morning in January and the sort of persistent low mood, lasting for weeks on end, which can make life feel not worth living.
Losing interest in things, feeling tearful, anxious or very run down can all be symptoms of depression. Depression itself can vary widely between people, from just feeling sad in the wake of a life-changing event such as bereavement, to having thoughts about harming yourself, sometimes for no obvious reason. People should see their GP if they think they may be depressed because a doctor can help to diagnose the problem and suggest whether medication or counselling or a combination of the two will be most helpful in the way of treatment.
New Year is traditionally a time for heart-searching and hoping for something better. Making lifestyle changes such as getting more exercise, cutting down on alcohol and unhealthy foods and stopping smoking all make sense whether you are depressed or not.
Stepping back from rush and routine and becoming more aware of the present moment – mindfulness, as it is usually called – as well as writing, artwork, photography, can all be of help in improving mental wellbeing.
Where problems persist, counselling and psychotherapy provide a safe place to express your persistent negative thoughts and feelings and, with the services of a skilled helper, to work on strategies which can help you to overcome a range of problems, from depression to anxiety and stress. For couples who found that disagreements with the in-laws or rows over chores overshadowed the celebrations, counselling can help to re-establish ground rules for improved communication and working on ways to make good relationships better.
Mondays (or any other day of the week) need not be Blue, just because you’ve finished all the mince pies or put the decorations away. Perhaps the best resolution you can make is to get round to talking about all those problems which have been festering away in the background for the past twelve months or more! Here’s to a Happy New Year for all!
Useful links:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Counselling/Pages/Introduction.aspx
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/counsellors-and-therapists.aspx
http://www.depressionalliance.org
http://www.depressionuk.org/index.shtml
http://www.ryetherapist.com
Stephen Weaver is a counsellor and psychotherapist in Rye. You can learn more about how he works and arrange an appointment on www.ryetherapist.com
Photo: realitybytes@iStock.