Forget everything you’ve been told about January being a fresh start. For many, it’s more like a cruel joke wrapped in frostbite and debt.
And right in the middle of it all? Blue Monday—the so-called “most depressing day of the year.”
Born from a mix of post-holiday gloom, dark mornings, and failed New Year’s resolutions, Blue Monday has become a shorthand for seasonal sadness. But let’s get one thing straight: you don’t have to buy into the doom.
So, let’s turn this “blue” day into something that actually works for you.
What is Blue Monday?
Blue Monday started as a catchy phrase, but it’s become a symbol for that mid-winter slump when motivation feels as flat as week-old champagne. The term describes a wave of seasonal sadness tied to emotional burnout, the winter blues, and the general weight of January’s grey skies.
But not all seasonal sadness hits the same. As Jenna Nielsen, MSW, LCSW, a mental health therapist with ADHDAdvisor.org, explains to Mindvalley Pulse, “Typical winter blues symptoms usually do not happen to someone every day and do not interfere with daily functioning.”
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), though? It’s a different story. Symptoms like low energy, sadness, brain fog, weight shifts, and sleep changes can show up daily—and they don’t just mess with your mood. They can impact relationships, work, and overall quality of life.
Depression and anxiety are not mental illnesses; they’re not brain illnesses. They’re actually warning signals that something is going on in your life.
— Dr. Caroline Leaf, trainer of Mindvalley’s Calm Mind: A Scientific Method for Managing Anxiety and Depression
While Blue Monday’s origins trace back to a marketing gimmick, it resonates because it taps into how many people feel during this time of year. Whether it’s fleeting winter drudgery, the heavier grip of SAD, or even subtle shifts in mood that affect humans (and even pets) during the colder months.
Why is it called this?
The “Blue Monday” meaning comes from the idea that “blue” has long been tied to feelings of sadness and emotional slumps. The color has a history of being linked with melancholy, from the term blue devils used centuries ago to describe depressive moods to how sadness can even affect the way we perceive shades of blue today.
The name itself was coined as part of a PR campaign by Sky Travel, originally crafted to sell vacations during the dreariest part of winter. It was backed by a so-called formula combining post-holiday debt, cold weather, and the guilt of abandoned New Year’s resolutions—though the science behind it is questionable at best.
What’s stuck, however, is the emotional truth it taps into: winter can feel heavy. And whether or not you buy into the marketing backstory, the feelings it describes? They’re real.
When is Blue Monday?
Blue Monday falls on the third Monday of January each year—for this year, that would be January 20, 2025. Conveniently timed when the holiday magic has fully worn off, your credit card bill has arrived, and the New Year’s motivation is…well, missing in action.
But don’t confuse Blue Monday with the usual Monday blues. As clinical neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf explains on her podcast, the typical start-of-the-week slump often comes from when “the freedom and relaxation and lack of pressure of the weekend come to an end, and now you’ve got to face the reality of getting back into that routine.”
The difference? Monday blues are temporary. Blue Monday, however, hits deeper, often amplifying emotional exhaustion and the feeling of being stuck in life.
It’s more than just wishing for five more minutes under the covers. Instead, it’s the weight of winter fatigue showing up in full force.
Is it a real thing?
Blue Monday isn’t backed by science—but that doesn’t mean it’s useless. While there’s no magical day where sadness peaks for everyone, the emotional weight many feel at this time of year is very real.
Jenna explains that while the concept lacks scientific credibility, it can still serve a purpose: “If ‘Blue Monday’ helps people who tend to experience seasonal affective disorder [understand] this is a common and treatable condition, then it is helpful.”
She also points out that while widespread attention on this specific Monday could, in theory, create a self-fulfilling effect, it rarely plays out that way. “Most people relate to the symptoms prior to reading the details,” Jenna says. The key is whether the focus stays on awareness and practical ways to combat seasonal sadness instead of dwelling on it.
And that’s the takeaway. The day itself? Manufactured. The conversations it sparks? Important. If it encourages people to acknowledge their mental health and seek support, it’s doing more good than harm.
How to cope with Blue Monday: 4 steps you can take, according to Mindvalley’s mental health expert
Blue Monday might be considered a depressing day, but feeling low doesn’t mean you’re powerless. That foggy, heavy mood creeping in? It’s your mind’s way of flagging that something needs attention, not something to brush aside.
“Depression and anxiety are not mental illnesses; they’re not brain illnesses,” Dr. Leaf highlights in her Mindvalley program, Calm Mind: A Scientific Method for Managing Anxiety and Depression. “They’re actually warning signals that something is going on in your life.”
And acknowledging those signals? That’s where the real power lies. Dr. Leaf’s approach helps you identify those tangled thoughts, break them down, and create space for clarity—one small step at a time.
1. Gather awareness
Think of your mind like an apple orchard. You’re not standing under the tree, shaking it wildly and hoping for the best while apples rain down on your head—that would be messy (and painful). Instead, as Dr. Leaf explains, gathering awareness means stepping back and deliberately picking the thoughts you want to examine.
Let’s say you’re feeling irritable, snappy, and can’t focus at work. Instead of brushing it off as “just a bad day,” you’d ask yourself: What’s actually going on here?
Maybe you’re overwhelmed with unfinished tasks. Or you’re emotionally drained from a difficult conversation the night before. Naming these patterns helps you stop running on autopilot and start understanding the signals behind the fog.
So start by noticing the four types of mental signals:
- Emotional. What emotions are showing up? Anxiety? Frustration? Sadness?
- Behavioral. How is your mood affecting your actions? Are you withdrawing? Snapping at people?
- Physical. Is your body reacting? Tension headaches? Fatigue? Restless sleep?
- Perspective. How are you viewing your situation? Feeling hopeless? Stuck? Overwhelmed?
Then, turn these signals into full sentences. “I feel anxious when…” or “I’ve been snapping at loved ones because…” By doing so, you get clarity instead of letting those thoughts run wild in your mind.
This process also literally rewires your brain, according to Dr. Leaf. When you focus your attention intentionally, such as in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) practices, you’re increasing blood flow and oxygen to the brain. This gives it the tools to repair and build healthier thought patterns.
Remember: you’re in charge here. The more you name your thoughts, the less they get to run the show.
2. Reflect
Now, it’s time to slow down and question what’s behind the signals you’ve noticed. Instead of reacting on autopilot, you’re exploring the why.
Why am I feeling this way? Why is this specific emotion showing up? What’s it trying to tell me?
This process triggers real shifts in the brain. Dr. Leaf explains that reflecting fires up both sides of your brain, activating the corpus callosum—the brain’s communication superhighway. The result? Sharper thinking, clearer insight, and a brain prepped for positive change.
Here’s how you can reflect effectively:
- Ask yourself. Why am I feeling this emotion?
- Answer honestly. What other emotions might be linked to this?
- Discuss internally. How are these emotions affecting my behavior, body, and perspective?
This mental back-and-forth helps you trace patterns instead of staying stuck in vague discomfort. You’re not fixing the entire issue yet; you’re just gathering clues.
And with every insight, you’re priming your brain to shift out of overwhelm and into a state where real spiritual healing and resilience begin.
3. Write it down
Time to take those swirling thoughts and make them visible. Dr. Leaf swears by a technique she developed called the Metacog—think of it as brain-mapping with purpose.
The thing is, writing things down doesn’t just “help you process.” It mirrors how thoughts are wired in your brain. And the Metacog is designed to reflect the shape of your mental patterns, just like the branches of a thought tree:
- Start with a circle in the middle of your page. Write the core thought or feeling you’re working through.
- Branch out with your emotional signals, behaviors, physical sensations, and perspectives—like sketching the roots and branches of a tree.
- Add sub-branches for deeper details. Feeling restless? Note the situations that leave you pacing. Struggling to focus? Track when your mind feels most scattered.
It’s not about being neat—it’s meant to be messy. The goal? Clean up the mental mess you’ve been carrying.
So grab a notebook. Your brain’s ready for a reboot.
4. Recheck
This step is circling back to your Metacog (or whatever notes you’ve jotted down) and searching for patterns. You’re actively connecting the dots—spotting triggers, root causes, and recurring themes that keep showing up.
For instance, if you’ve experienced abuse and struggle to control your emotions or feel stuck in life, this process helps you untangle the chaos and understand why.
“Recheck helps you to say, ‘Okay, that happened. That’s why I’m showing up like I am but this is how I’m going to neutralize and how I’m going to find the antidote and how I’m going to move forward from here’,” explains Dr. Leaf.
Think of it like taking a highlighter to your mental map:
- Spot patterns. Is there a link between your low energy and specific situations?
- Identify triggers. What tends to set off those overwhelming feelings?
- Ask yourself. “This has happened, so what can I actually do about it?”
Rechecking doesn’t erase the past…but it clears the fog, helping you move forward with clarity instead of staying stuck in the “why.”
5. Active reach
You’ve done the deep work, so now, it’s time to lock it in with active reach. Dr. Leaf describes it as the “full stop” of the process. Why? Because it’s that final step where you stop overthinking and start rewiring your brain with intention.
Here’s how it works:
- Create a powerful statement. Pull a key takeaway from your recheck, like “I’m not anxiety. I’m feeling anxious because I’m working through something important.”
- Pair it with a visual. Maybe it’s a white rose, a sunrise, or a simple image that reminds you of growth and calm.
- Repeat it often. Say it to yourself throughout the day, especially when old thought patterns creep back in.
This is a way of “stabilizing your new way of thinking, tiny little bits at a time,” according to Dr. Leaf. So she suggests repeating your active reach at least seven times a day, which will help you “have a good amount of time spent stabilizing the network.”
So, what’s the statement you’re holding onto today? Write it, repeat it, live it.
Heal. Rise. Thrive.
Blue Monday might come around every year, but, as Jenna Nielsen says, “It is just a day.” It doesn’t get to decide how your story plays out.
Take it from Monica Ducu, a business coach from Romania, who spent years battling depression, anxiety, and insomnia—trying countless medications that only brought side effects, not solutions. Discovering Dr. Caroline Leaf’s work finally helped her realize that managing her mental health wasn’t about endless diagnoses; it was about taking back her power.
You can start doing the same.
With a free Mindvalley account, you can not only preview Dr. Leaf’s program, Calm Mind: A Scientific Method for Anxiety and Depression, but you can also access expert-backed lessons, daily meditations, and tools designed to help you break free from what’s holding you back—no credit card, no catch.
Because the truth is, your mind isn’t the enemy. It’s the key.
Welcome in.
