Blue Monday FAQs
When is Blue Monday?
The bluest day of the year takes place on the third Monday of January. In 2023, Blue Monday falls on the 16th of January.
Why is it called Blue Monday?
It’s called Blue Monday because it’s the time of year when we’re supposedly feeling at our lowest and most “blue”.
We’re thought to be susceptible to feeling down because the weather’s cold, we’re back at work, we’ve got to make up all the money we spent at Christmas and we’re feeling guilty for already breaking our New Year’s resolutions...oh, joy.2
Is it really blue?
Google “Blue Monday” and you’ll be presented with a whole list of articles that tell you when it is and how it’s been calculated, thanks to Cliff Arnall’s formula.
Scattered in between, you’ll also find lots of references to the phrase, “pseudosciene”-, which basically means it’s not scientifically true.
Blue Monday just so happens to have hung around in people’s minds and been used by companies for PR purposes ever since the phrase was first coined and the formula first unveiled back in 2004.