'Blue Monday' isn't as innocent as it appears

Unless you've been living under a rock in recent years, it's more thank likely you have heard of 'Blue Monday'. Boldly characterised as 'the most depressing day of the year', it's hardly one to look forward to. This year, so called 'Blue Monday' falls next week, on Monday 15th January. The day has generally come to represent a combination of failed resolutions, debt and a feeling of being 'back to reality' following the festive period. Until about 10 minutes ago, this week's post was going to be a list of ways to get back your motivation on and after Blue Monday, however, after stumbling across a few great articles by the mental health charity Mind, I realised the myth that is 'Blue Monday' is more problematic than it seems.

The first thing that came to mind is the way in which Blue Monday is characterised as depressing due of a combination of different factors, as I mentioned earlier. In a way, I think this suggests that being depressed is caused by easily identifiable 'reasons', which of course isn't always the case. Depression can 100% be caused by issues such as debt, but there is often not a specific and obvious cause. It's important to remember that brain chemistry and other physiological factors can cause a person to be depressed, and it's rarely an issue as simple as 'this has happened, therefore this is the result'. In some ways, I think Blue Monday trivialises the idea of depression, and undermines the complexity and severity of the illness.

Secondly, as Mind also mentioned, I think the idea that being depressed can be a one day thing is hugely misleading. In a way, Blue Monday could easily lead to the misconception that it's possible to be depressed for one day, and then once that day is over, everything is fine. I would say this rarely, if ever, is the case. Yes, it's totally possible to have a really crappy, awful day and then feel better after a good night's sleep, but is this the same as being depressed? I would argue not. 

In a way I'm in two minds on this, but I think the real issue is the use of the phrase 'the most depressing day of the year'. Part of me thinks yes, being depressed at a certain point in time is a viable and totally possible emotion, but I think it's the potential mix-up between being depressed and having depression which causes a problem. Might Blue Monday be the worst day of the year? Quite possibly. But are the constant reminders and trivialisation of the day going to help anyone? Probably not.

Hello 2018!

2017 has been one hell of a year to say the least. It has simultaneously been the worst year of my life, and also the year I have grown and evolved most as a person. 2017 has taught me more than I thought was possible to learn. It taught me to treasure those closest to me, and to be genuinely grateful for every single day. It taught me to live in the moment, because nothing that has already happened or that may happen needs to be stressed over; life is way too precious. 2017 was a year of total heartbreak, loss and grief. It was also a year of tremendous progress and development, of which I am so proud.

Bringing in the New Year with a member of the family missing was a strange feeling. On my birthday, I kept thinking back to this time last year, when we all sat around the dinner table eating New Years Day lunch. Of course, this was in many ways a sad thought, however it also made me appreciate the people I did have around me this year even more. Though it was a bittersweet day, I had the most wonderful birthday and New Year.

2017 forced me to be strong and brave, and ultimately made me realise what I am capable of. My hope for this year is that I can make use of that realisation. I truly believe that the hardest times do make us more resilient, and can provide us with so much strength and determination in the long run. Thinking about this makes me smile, because it proves that my Dad is teaching me just as much in his death as he did during his life.

Blogging wise, I have some big ambitions for this year. Should all go to plan, 2018 will be the year I go self-hosted, which as fellow bloggers will know, opens up a whole host of new opportunities. Working on email subscription is also amongst my plans, as well as being more involved and engaged in social media other than Instagram. I'm truly so excited about what is in store, and I hope that a year from now I can look back and think 'I did it'.

Happy New Year!