Happy Mondays Not Blue Monday; 4 Tips To Beat The Winter Blues
Blue Monday is the name given to the most depressing day of the year which allegedly falls on the Monday of the last full week of January, which is the Monday 21st January.
The theory of Blue Monday has been pretty much sidelined as pseudo science, but what we do know is that around 24% of us in Northern countries suffer from a mild or severe form of winter depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in January, which is caused by a lack of exposure to sunlight. SAD is often at its worst in January as figures shows that December and January have the lowest amount of sunshine hours of any month of the year. As well as this, January is the coolest month of the year which can make it the most expensive from a heating point of view, so additional financial strains are placed on the average person.
While there is no need to be as crude as naming the date of the most depressing day, it is understandable that December and particularly January are the months when we are most prone to Winter Depression.
How can SAD effect our work, jobs and career?
SAD can translate into de-motivation and reduced activity in terms of work output or finding a new job, so SAD and the associated winter slowdown can harm your career prospects if not addressed. So, below, I have set out 4 tips for you to address winter depression and minimize the negative impact it has on your normal work and job search routine.
- Try and get as much sunlight as possible which could mean doing things such as walking or cycling to work, going out for a walk at lunchtimes, and doing an outdoor activity (even if it is just a stroll) at weekends.
- Use an SAD Lightbox which emits bright light at an intensity level which means that it can help to combat the effects of SAD. Research from Psychiatry (Edgemont) suggests that light therapy is one of the best available treatments for SAD.
- Exercise daily are or at least three times a week as research from the University of Bristol has shown that workers reported high levels of motivation and all round mental performance on days where they had exercised.
- Engage in some cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), as research from the University of Vermont shows that CBT is very effective at combating the effects of SAD.
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