The most depressing day of the year is upon us. January 21st marks Blue Monday. Interim North Zone Medical Director Dr. Sandra Corbett says Blue Monday helps to draw attention to post-Christmas depression.
“It is an opportunity to look at the fact that depression happens and that January; the winter especially in the northern hemisphere can be a depressing time. January comes after Christmas; there’s often that let down. It was meant to take in to account that it was a few weeks since new years and it was kind of the time where people had already failed at their new year’s resolutions.”
Blue Monday was first started in 2005 by a travel company as a way to sell more vacations. While there are no scientific facts behind the day, there are facts behind a common form of clinical depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder.
SAD was first recognized as a disorder in the early 1980s. Corbett says people who deal with SAD usually feel that way in the winter months and start to feel better as the weather warms up.
“You may have this if you’ve had symptoms of depression for the past two winters and that you did start to feel better in the spring and summer. We’re not exactly sure what causes Seasonal Affective Disorder but it certainly is related to lack of sunlight.”
Corbett says the best way to beat seasonal depression is to get outside and exercise when the sun is shining. She says if the depression continues, the next step is to consult with a health care professional.
