Dubbed the saddest day of the year – Blue Monday is looming. The festivities of Christmas and New Year's Eve have come to an end and life is going back to normal. Those things, combined with returning to work, being skint from festivities and an extra long gap between paydays, mean it is no wonder some of us can feel down in the dumps.
The “most depressing day of the year”, known as Blue Monday, falls in 2025 on Monday January 20. But what is it and how can you beat the blues?. The term Blue Monday originates from UK travel company Sky Travel, which came up with the concept in a press release in 2005.
The travel company named Blue Monday the most depressing day of the year as it is often when most are struggling financially, the weather is far from optimal and failed new year resolutions are commonplace, culminating in a low mood for many. Blue Monday is usually the third Monday in January each year. It can also fall on the second or fourth Monday.
This year’s Blue Monday is January 20. Blue Monday is not based on actual scientific research – the original press release by Sky Travel promoted the day in the hopes of selling more holidays. The 2005 release claimed Blue Monday was calculated by “taking into account various factors”, which included debt levels, temperatures, days until the next bank holiday, the number of days since pay day and average hours of daylight.
