Today is the bluest of Mondays
Today is the bluest of Mondays
PSYCHOLOGY:A British researcher's equation pegs today as the year's worst day.
BY SHELLEY EMLINGCOX
NEWS SERVICELONDON - Having a bad day? Well, no wonder. According to one scientist, Monday, Jan. 23 is the gloomiest day of 2006.
Cliff Arnall, a health psychologist at the University of Cardiff in Wales, has devised a formula that combines personal and seasonal factors to calculate the year's emotional low point.
Arnall said January is a time when people are simply working and don't have a lot of events, parties or holidays to look forward to.
People are struggling to cope not only with the bleak weather, but also with the debts they amassed by spending too much over the holidays.
It's also a time when people are starting to feel like failures because they've broken their resolutions so shortly after making them.
On paper, the formula looks like this:
The variables are (W)eather, (D)ebt, (d) monthly salary, (T)ime since Christmas, time since failure to (Q)uit a bad habit, low (M)otivational levels and (NA), the need to take action.
"All these elements converge to make for a very unhappy day on the 23rd of January," Arnall said.
He said his formula holds true for the United States as well as Britain, except perhaps in places such as Texas, Florida or California, where better weather could help to lift the day's depressing mood.
But Arnall said there are ways to beat the late-January blues.
Instead of trying to turn over the same old new leaf every New Year's Day, he suggested, why not resolve to make a change in a different month, such as March or April?
"I also advise people to do the unusual every January," he said. "Go for a walk in the woods or just get out and about."
Arnall said groups of friends or even co-workers could throw parties to celebrate the 23rd, because being around people you like can be a great way to boost your spirits. People also could resolve to make a budget for their holiday spending next December.
Leslie Godwin, a LosAngeles-based author and life-transition coach, agreed that January is a tough time of the year. She encouraged people to try to exercise, even when the weather is bad.
"Exercise releases hormones that give us a sense of well-being, and it should be seen as an antidote to feeling down or blue," she said.
Godwin, who emphasized that it generally takes three weeks to create a habit, said the best exercise is any kind you are likely to do at least five days a week.
"If you start exercising around New Year's, then you will have formed a positive new habit by the end of the month," she said.
Even if you aren't exercising, there is some good news: It's only six months until what Arnall figures will be the happiest day of 2006 -- June 23.
"In June there is a lot more of an emphasis on nature, with plenty of flowers and trees in full bloom," he said. "There's also the likelihood that people are seeing more of their neighbors because of more daylight.
"People are experiencing positive memories of their childhood summers and they are looking forward to taking their holidays," he said. "All this happens in June, so that it's usually a very good month."
Found the above article in the online part of our newspaper--while looking for apartments! Finally saw the hidden treasure apartment last night, and it's an apartment, not much storage space. The stairs are a bit steep for my Mom. I don't know if the stairs part is gonna work. Cripes. We have until the 3rd of February to find something. No pressure or anything. People are on me about it, but there's not much to even look at that fits all of our categories. So even though I have a busy day of work today, I'm going to have to do some more calling on apartments.
There is, like one new possibility in the newspaper that I have to check out. Then it's call all of the old ones and see if anything has changed in the past two weeks. Wish me luck! And have a great Bluest of Mondays!
PSYCHOLOGY:A British researcher's equation pegs today as the year's worst day.
BY SHELLEY EMLINGCOX
NEWS SERVICELONDON - Having a bad day? Well, no wonder. According to one scientist, Monday, Jan. 23 is the gloomiest day of 2006.
Cliff Arnall, a health psychologist at the University of Cardiff in Wales, has devised a formula that combines personal and seasonal factors to calculate the year's emotional low point.
Arnall said January is a time when people are simply working and don't have a lot of events, parties or holidays to look forward to.
People are struggling to cope not only with the bleak weather, but also with the debts they amassed by spending too much over the holidays.
It's also a time when people are starting to feel like failures because they've broken their resolutions so shortly after making them.
On paper, the formula looks like this:
The variables are (W)eather, (D)ebt, (d) monthly salary, (T)ime since Christmas, time since failure to (Q)uit a bad habit, low (M)otivational levels and (NA), the need to take action.
"All these elements converge to make for a very unhappy day on the 23rd of January," Arnall said.
He said his formula holds true for the United States as well as Britain, except perhaps in places such as Texas, Florida or California, where better weather could help to lift the day's depressing mood.
But Arnall said there are ways to beat the late-January blues.
Instead of trying to turn over the same old new leaf every New Year's Day, he suggested, why not resolve to make a change in a different month, such as March or April?
"I also advise people to do the unusual every January," he said. "Go for a walk in the woods or just get out and about."
Arnall said groups of friends or even co-workers could throw parties to celebrate the 23rd, because being around people you like can be a great way to boost your spirits. People also could resolve to make a budget for their holiday spending next December.
Leslie Godwin, a LosAngeles-based author and life-transition coach, agreed that January is a tough time of the year. She encouraged people to try to exercise, even when the weather is bad.
"Exercise releases hormones that give us a sense of well-being, and it should be seen as an antidote to feeling down or blue," she said.
Godwin, who emphasized that it generally takes three weeks to create a habit, said the best exercise is any kind you are likely to do at least five days a week.
"If you start exercising around New Year's, then you will have formed a positive new habit by the end of the month," she said.
Even if you aren't exercising, there is some good news: It's only six months until what Arnall figures will be the happiest day of 2006 -- June 23.
"In June there is a lot more of an emphasis on nature, with plenty of flowers and trees in full bloom," he said. "There's also the likelihood that people are seeing more of their neighbors because of more daylight.
"People are experiencing positive memories of their childhood summers and they are looking forward to taking their holidays," he said. "All this happens in June, so that it's usually a very good month."
Found the above article in the online part of our newspaper--while looking for apartments! Finally saw the hidden treasure apartment last night, and it's an apartment, not much storage space. The stairs are a bit steep for my Mom. I don't know if the stairs part is gonna work. Cripes. We have until the 3rd of February to find something. No pressure or anything. People are on me about it, but there's not much to even look at that fits all of our categories. So even though I have a busy day of work today, I'm going to have to do some more calling on apartments.
There is, like one new possibility in the newspaper that I have to check out. Then it's call all of the old ones and see if anything has changed in the past two weeks. Wish me luck! And have a great Bluest of Mondays!
8 Comments:
Good luck with the apartment hunt! :)
And I have no doubt that the article about Blue Monday is true....almost every Monday feels like that for me! ;)
Well, my Blue Monday seems to be going ok so far but I think that's more to do with me being incredibly lazy and doing nothing more than anything else!
I hope you have a brillo day!
I'm hoping for good luck for you with the apartment; listen to your good sense about the stairs---the last thing you want is another move.
My blue monday is flying by, luckily. I hope that your apartment hunt goes well.
Yea I read a similar article over here today too - but the one I read was just a paragraph long - us Bristolians can't cope with much more than a paragraph obviously!!! I had a fairly good day. How about you?
Fingers still crossed mate!
It's Tuesday here, and stinking hot! Best of luck apartment hunting, hope something pops up!
I am just tired today, not really blue at all. Hmmm.
Interesting article though.
The stairs...ewwwww! The older your Mom gets the more likely she could fall. Sometimes elderly people fall from a stress fracture while walking, keep a close eye on her.
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