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January 20th is “Blue Monday”. Here’s how to survive it and the rest of January

Posted at 2:09 PM, Jan 14, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-14 16:09:10-05

"Blue Monday" is January 20th -- it's known as "the most depressing day of the year".

Jessie Shepherd, a Mental Health Counselor, says while Blue Monday is not statistically founded, January can be a tough month.

She cites these statistics:

• 48% of New Years solutions are broken by the 3rd Sunday of January (This year: January 19th 2020). 80% by mid-February. (Michigan State University, 2018)
• 87% of Americans have spent at least $1,000 more during the holiday season than intended (Harvard, 2018). January is when the bills roll in.
• Rates of single people go up by 23% (DePaulo, 2019).
• Seasonal Affective disorder reporting increases by 60% in January (Blizczak, 2018).

She offered some things you can do to survive January:

  1. Recognize that it can be a difficult month.
  2. Set up & Keep positive mental health routines.
  3. Working out, eating well, positive social interactions, hobby skill development, meditation, mindfulness, good sleep, etc.
  4. Create social interactions & fun activities.
  5. Be kind to yourself as we progress into the new year.

You can learn more at: jessiethetherapist.com.