What is Blue Monday?

About this episode

What is Blue Monday? Thanks for asking!   Sorry to start the week with bad news but today is Blue Monday, often cited as the most depressing day of the year. Blue Monday has existed since 2005, and is based on an equation which takes into account various factors. However, its detractors criticise the idea as pseudoscience and say it is driven by money.    Why does Blue Monday occur in January?   Since the first Blue Monday equation was devised by psychologist Cliff Arnall, there have been a few different variants, but there are common elements to each.  Of course you’ve got the winter weather, which explains why Blue Monday isn’t a phenomenon in the southern Hemisphere, where January is a summer month. Blue Monday is also not well known in the United States, as it usually clashes with Martin Luther King Day. Furthermore, people are often indebted in January, after overspending at Christmas time, and there’s still over a week to wait until payday. The joy of the holiday season has passed and many of us have already failed to stick to our New Year’s resolutions.   Black Friday, Super Saturday, Blue Monday - why do I get the feeling this is just another marketing thing? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is induced lactation? What is a Bullshit job? What is Pornhub? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices