Blue Monday: What is it and why are the Samaritans boycotting with Brew Monday?

Today, Monday, January 20, has been dubbed this year's Blue Monday - often called "the most depressing day of the year." Occurring annually on the third Monday of January, Blue Monday has become synonymous with a widespread feeling of melancholy.

The term was coined 20 years ago in 2005 by British psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall, who claimed to have calculated the day based on a combination of factors, including gloomy weather, post-holiday debt and the failure of New Year’s resolutions. While some argue that the formula is more of a marketing gimmick than scientific fact, the idea of a universally tough day in the year has stuck. It's easy to see why: January paydays seem a distant prospect, the aftershocks of Christmas spending still sting, and the relentless dreariness of winter- particularly in the UK, with its early sunsets and grey skies- doesn’t help either.

However this year, the Samaritans - a UK-based mental health charity- are taking a stand by boycotting Blue Monday. They believe that the concept trivialises mental health struggles, potentially reinforcing harmful stereotypes that people dealing with mental health challenges are simply “having a bad day”. In rejecting Blue Monday, the Samaritans aim to move away from a single damaging label and instead encourage open conversations about mental health every day of the year. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), they stated: “Blue Monday isn’t real - don’t believe the hype you see today!”

The charity went on to explain their reasoning in a follow-up thread, revealing that Blue Monday was a fictional construct, originally created by the travel company Sky Holidays to boost January bookings. The Samaritans offered a refreshing new take on the day, dubbing it “Brew Monday”- an invitation to check in with loved ones over a warm drink and a meaningful chat. They said:

1. “This so-called ‘most depressing day of the year’ was quite literally made up in 2005 to help travel companies sell holidays. Yep, it’s just a marketing stunt. No science, truth, or facts.”

2. “It oversimplifies the complex nature of mental health challenges and risks trivializing real emotions and feelings for sales. Life can be tough enough without extra mental health stereotypes like this.”

3.“We all have our good and bad days, and they have absolutely nothing to do with a random made-up day in January. Some days are really hard, and we don’t control when they show up, and that’s OK.”

4.“But checking in with our friends, family, and colleagues and having a proper chat can make a real difference. Which is why we’re asking everybody to join in with Brew Monday and reach out to someone for a cuppa and catch up!”

In moving away from Blue Monday and promoting Brew Monday, the Samaritans are encouraging us all to rethink how we approach mental health. Instead of focusing on a day marked by artificial sadness, they’re advocating for a shift toward human connection- something that can make a real difference all year round.