Blue Monday is the name given to a day in January (typically the third Monday of the month) said by a UK travel company, Sky Travel, to be the most depressing day of the year.

This has been going on since 2005 and it’s getting bigger and bigger by the year.

Yesterday was Blue Monday 🔵 and I only realised as I sat down in the afternoon and scrolled aimlessly through social media. Everyone posted supportive messages for everyone who felt depressed, articles were written to reiterate the importance of Blue Monday. I got a bit fed up with it. People are depressed every day, they need support every day.

The third week of January is usually the week when all New Year Resolutions are going out the window, gym memberships prove not to be for everyone who signed up on 1st of January and this only because we are over Christmas holidays, life gets back to normal, schools are opened, we all go back to work and settle into the old routine that worked so well before we stuffed ourselves the entire December and drank more than we were supposed to.

Blue Monday is yet another excuse to sit on the sofa, under a blanket, wallowing in self pity because we don’t actually have the energy and will to start doing all the things we planned on doing.

Yes, I do get depressed. Yes, I do have days when I am down and can’t be bothered with life. I think the most important thing is to have more positive days than negative and this is already a win.

I am not taking into consideration chronically depressed people, people diagnosed with severe mental health issues. This is a subject I have no right to touch.

My opinion is on each and every one of us who CAN but choose NOT TO

I woke up yesterday, got my daughter ready for school and put on my running gear so I won’t have any excuse not to do it. I thought to myself I will do a loop or two around the park because it’s too cold. After school drop off I decided on going on my old 10k route with my mind set on turning back after 5k…. when that time came I looked up that hill and thought I have done it before and I will do it again. I did all my 10k run. A little under an hour. Just by doing it I set myself up for success yesterday. I started work and although usually I would have been overwhelmed by an infinite number of emails … I just treated everything as it was. “Prioritise and do what you can. After all, tomorrow is another day! “

After work I picked up my daughter from school and took her to a birthday party.

We returned around 7pm and I was totally frozen. Had tea and tried to warm up, getting ready for today having to go to the office.

What was actually on my mind? That gorgeous sun on my face in the morning, the frozen ground, that joy I had after an hour of running and all the positive energy I got out of it.

Also, Katie the caterpillar

… Katie is the tiny caterpillar that my daughter found in the playground in school. She transferred it on a leaf 🌿 so it can be comfortable… ( my little nature lover) – Katie was found on the ground this morning and now lives in a jar filled with grass and leaves … in my house. Only until tomorrow when she will be relocated in the bush outside the house where for sure she’ll be more in her own element

How can I not find joy in all this?