Blue Monday
Blue Monday: What is it and where did it come from? 🤔
The term was coined by psychologist, Cliff Arnall, back in 2004, when travel company, Sky Travel, asked him for a “scientific formula” for the January blues. His formula considered post-holiday blues, bad weather, debt level, low motivation levels, and various other factors and ‘Blue Monday’ has been known as the most depressing day of the year since.
Now that the festive break is over, you could find yourself in a bit of a slump with low mood and motivation. Student Counsellor, Claire Nelson, has put together some tips to help pick up your mood.
Now is a good time to reflect
Self-reflection is so important. Taking time to consciously review every aspect of your life and, perhaps more importantly, to consider how you might be able to live it even better. A new year is the perfect time to consider and celebrate your accomplishments, think about what you’ve learned, to figure out what brings you joy and happiness and to design and plan for the rest of the year ahead.
Take some time to think about the self-reflective prompts below:
The most important goal I achieved:
What inspired me?
The lowest point:
New skills I learned:
I was happy when:
I am grateful for?
Things to bring forward into 2023:
Things to leave behind in 2022:
Favourite things of 2022:
Song:
Event:
Purchase:
Trip:
I am grateful for:
The lesson(s) I learned:
Some helpful resources
Self-care checklist - because it’s great to keep on top of self-care all year round.
Wellbeing Awareness Plan - so that you can keep track and on top of your own wellbeing and the weekly schedule because you may want to start planning the new year ahead.
We have resources available through the library service, to support your mental and physical wellbeing.
Looking for some self-help?
Look no further - we have created some content, including: podcasts, worksheets, a list of apps, and website that you may find of interest.
Togetherall (formally Big White Wall) is a digital mental health support service which is available online, 24/7, and is completely anonymous so you can express yourself freely and openly. Professionally trained Guides monitor the community to ensure the safety and anonymity of all members. In addition to the online community, you will have access to a wealth of useful resources and can work through tailored self-help courses covering topics such as anxiety, sleep, weight management, depression and many more.
Spectrum Life - You may feel at a crisis point or are just feeling a bit rubbish and need to offload. You can access a 24/7 out of hours mental health support line via Spectrum.Life. All calls are answered by clinically trained counsellors or psychotherapists. You can talk to them about anything, including stress, anxiety, low mood, financial worries, loss and grief, relationship difficulties and substance abuse issues. This is completely free to all our students, with a range of ways to interact from phoning, texting, Whats App, or Zen chat (through the web portal).
New Year, New You?
If you haven’t made any resolutions, then creating some can be a great way to set yourself some goals, help to motivate you and challenge you. Be realistic though, don’t set yourself unrealistic goals. That’s when we can become unmotivated, as they can be really hard to achieve. Keep your goals manageable, but something that can bring you outside of your comfort zone. That’s where growth is!
Top Tips for setting resolutions/goals for yourself
Keep them realistic – As much as I don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble of aiming for the moon, being realistic and keeping your goals within reach is key.
Plan ahead – What do you need to get those goals achieved? Is there prep that needs to be carried out?
Review the situation – Do your goals seem to be moving further away from you? A review may be needed - re-plan, re-assess, and start breaking down those goals into manageable chunks.
Is there learning in this process? I hate the word failure! Are you learning what works, and what doesn’t? Great, you will learn though what doesn’t work, and what does.
Reflect – If you’ve achieved those goals, that’s great. Are you happy and fulfilled with your achieved goals? Do you now have new ones you want to pursue? If so, go to step 1.
Is there someone I can talk to from college if I need support?
Yes! Please see our webpage, with all of our current ways to support students.
Want to talk?
Here are some useful freephone helplines:
Samaritans – 116 123
The Lighthouse – 0800 121 4820
Breathing Space – 0800 83 85 87
Try something new
Getting outside, and being in nature, is an amazing way to increase our physical and mental wellness. In Scotland, we have access to some spectacular walks. Why not challenge yourself to a new walk? Get your cosy clothes on, grab a flask of coffee or soup, and get ready to soak up any vitamin D that might be around!
The Academy of Sport and Wellbeing are offering staff and students a free week of membership for January. Why not try out the facilities? Sign up via this link and select “BLUE MONDAY 1-week free pass”. This provides full access to gym and all classes, and you can sign up anytime throughout week of 16 January.
We hope these tips help you avoid experiencing a ‘Blue Monday’ 😊
