Newswise — January 15 is “Blue Monday”, considered by some to be the most depressing day of the year. While all of January can be a difficult month for mental health, after the highs of the holiday season, some have coined the third Monday in January as “Blue Monday,” the most depressing day of the year. Contributing to many people’s feeling “blue” are bills coming in from holiday shopping and travel, bleak weather, limited daylight hours, and people starting to fall off the wagon of their New Year resolutions.
Hackensack Meridian Health psychiatrists say it’s common for all of these factors to have a compounding effect and impact a person’s mental health, but sadness or depression don’t follow a calendar. It can happen at any time. Understand you are not alone and talk to others about your stressors and, most importantly, seek help if the symptoms of depression are severe or persist.
Mental health experts stress the opportunity to reset can happen whenever, and not just on January 1st. “ It is OK if you haven’t succeeded at your resolution yet. Start now. Don’t attach your success to the calendar,” said Dr. Rehan Aziz, a psychiatrist at Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey University Medical Center. “Make sure your resolution is measurable and manageable, with small steps.When starting new habits, set reasonable expectations.“
Ultimately, experts say “Blue Monday” is a myth, but feeling depressed this time of year isn’t. “Although the most difficult time of year may vary for each person, any time with higher stress, less sunlight, feeling lonely, or barriers to enjoyable activities can take a toll on our moods,” said psychologist Heather Derry-Vick, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. “For many people, wintertime checks a lot of those boxes,”
Beyond a passing Blue Monday experience, many people may experience seasonal affective Disorder (SAD). It is a type of depression that happens in certain seasons of the year, usually the fall and winter, when shorter days and less daylight trigger chemical changes in the brain leading to symptoms of depression. Light therapy and antidepressants can help treat SAD.
“Some researchers believe that SAD can be linked to a reduction in serotonin production, a chemical in the brain that helps to regulate mood; or a vitamin D deficiency, which can occur due to changes in exposure to sunlight,” said Yolanda Picket, M.D., psychiatrist at Hackensack University Medical Center. “Some also believe that there is a link to increased melatonin production, which may be triggered by the darker days in fall and winter seasons,” she added.
Treatment options that may help patients with depression or SAD include:
- Talk therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy
- Medication
- A combination of talk therapy plus medication
Lifestyle changes that may help patients with depression or SAD include:
- Getting exercise regularly
- Socializing with friends regularly
- Participating in activities that you typically enjoy regularly
Additional treatment options that may help patients with winter-pattern SAD include:
- Light box therapy – exposure to this type of bright light may be effective
- Vitamin D supplements, if they’re recommended by a doctor
Lifestyle changes that may help patients with winter-pattern SAD include:
- Regulating sleep patterns, to avoid sleeping too much
- Regulating diet, to avoid overeating or craving carbs
Even though the data may not support Blue Monday, it can be a good reminder to do a personal mood check. “Have you been feeling down or having a hard time getting going most days, for a few weeks or more? Is that making it more difficult to do the things you normally do? If so, Blue Monday is as good of a day as any to reach out to your primary doctor or to a mental health professional for an assessment,” Derry-Vick said. “They can help you to figure out steps to improve your mood.”
Depression, seasonal affective disorder, or milder blues can be more common in the wintertime, but they are also treatable and are not inevitable.
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