Ransom Riggs
The Most Depressing Day of the Year
by Ransom Riggs - January 20, 2010 - 7:06 AM

sad According to a UK firm that tracks employee absenteeism, the most depressing day of this year — coined Blue Monday — was January 18, two days ago. It had nothing to do with events in Haiti or special elections in Massachusetts, but the third Monday of January is reputed to be an emotionally toxic combination of freezing weather, debt from holiday shopping, general post-holiday comedown/malaise, and the recession — which is the only reason that the firm who conducted this research isn’t terribly worried about lots of employees missing work, since those of us who still have their jobs either need them too badly to risk not showing up, or need every day of wages they can get. Failing New Year’s resolutions may also contribute.

Back in 2006, a health psychologist from the University of Cardiff in Wales devised a mathematical formula which claims to calculate the year’s unhappiest day, and it is this:

W + (D-d) x TQ
———————————
M x NA

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.

How you assign numbers to things like “motivational levels” and “the need to take action” is an open question, but it’s kind of fun nevertheless — and I doubt many people would dispute that Mondays in mid-to-late January are more inherently depressing than other days.

So … how was your Monday?

« Previous Post   -   Next Post »
Click here to get a Risk-Free issue of mental_floss magazine
Comments (41)

  1. Personally, my January 18th was great. I was off for MLK day, I have lost 10 pounds since the New Year (thanks my yearly diet), I am in love with my wife of 5 years and my 2 kids (3+1), I like my job (although I could use some extra time off, like everybody could) and I am looking forward to several things in the new year including, getting a nice bonus, getting our large yearly tax return, getting out of my townhouse and into a single family home, and some killer new release video games including Mass Effect 2 and Heavy Rain. My only complaint is not enough sleep and not enough hours in a day to do the things I would like. Life is good.

    posted by Ian from Baltimore on 1-20-2010 at 7:28 am

  2. I got hit by a car, actually. He clipped me with his bumper, and I took off his right side mirror. Somehow I escaped with bruises. It kind of really sucked, actually.

    posted by Jordan on 1-20-2010 at 7:53 am

  3. My January 18th was a normal average day, and I’d say that’s pretty good. It certainly wasn’t depressing. The weather was typical for winter here in Michigan, so there was no reason to feel any differently about it than I do on any other day. There’s also no reason for me to feel any differently about the economy on January 18th than on any other day. I don’t spend much on the holidays, so I don’t have holiday debt. I don’t have holiday letdown since the holidays are hardly a big deal for me in the first place. And I don’t have failed attempts at New Year’s resolutions because I never make them.

    posted by Michigan Mom on 1-20-2010 at 7:54 am

  4. Dunno, the election in Mass. kind of cheered me up. . .but I like freedom and all that.

    posted by El Zarcho on 1-20-2010 at 8:28 am

  5. Hehe :)

    Well, mine was terrible.
    Moody, uninspired topped off with a splitting headache.

    But now I feel better about having such an unproductive day. Go figure. :)

    posted by Capa on 1-20-2010 at 9:00 am

  6. I actually had a great Monday because I had off work for Martin Luther King Day. I just took it easy and took my dog for a nice walk at the dog park.

    posted by Emma on 1-20-2010 at 9:03 am

  7. It was a great day for me this year, too. Off of work for MLK day, went to see Avatar with my daughter. And donated blood. And it was a good stick this time. No major bruising of my arm this time!

    posted by mrs.arno on 1-20-2010 at 9:09 am

  8. January 18th was my birthday. I had a day off work thanks to a national holiday… and I ate cake for both lunch and dinner. All in all, I’d say it was pretty good.

    posted by Susanna on 1-20-2010 at 9:16 am

  9. How was my Monday?

    Up yours, dude.

    posted by Mark on 1-20-2010 at 9:21 am

  10. I sat in a smoothie shop by myself from 7am to 7pm making smoothies for snot-nosed kids that had the day off

    posted by LT on 1-20-2010 at 9:29 am

  11. I had off, too. I went to a museum with my two best friends then went and got sushi and lots of wine with some other friends. Great day.

    posted by Caitlin on 1-20-2010 at 9:34 am

  12. @Mark
    Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays!
    -Office Space

    posted by Ian from Baltimore on 1-20-2010 at 9:38 am

  13. January 18th is my birthday. Hahaha.

    posted by Sock on 1-20-2010 at 9:49 am

  14. Monday was not depressing at all! For me, the most depressing day of the year is Dec. 25th, and the whole holiday season really depresses me. So in January, I’m just glad that it’s all over, and won’t be back for another year!

    posted by Mimi on 1-20-2010 at 10:42 am

  15. Weird! On Sunday night I said to myself “man, I can NOT go in to work tomorrow” so I took the day off. I didn’t feel depressed, really, but more just run-down and exhausted. I spent the day sleeping, cleaning and watching trashy online tv.
    I had no idea that Monday was the most depressing day of the year!

    posted by Jenny on 1-20-2010 at 10:49 am

  16. It was okay.

    posted by Sara in AL on 1-20-2010 at 10:52 am

  17. Except, as the Monday that begins the last full week of January, it might actually be next Monday the 25th.

    posted by wb001i on 1-20-2010 at 10:53 am

  18. My mom had hip-replacement surgery. They say doctors make the worst patients, well, she’s a nurse and she was right up there. Rolling her eyes at everything the nurse wanted her to do, asking for pain meds, coffee, wanted to take the air tube out of her nose, wanted the IV out…

    I guess the good news is she’s getting released today, but I’m not sure who’s gonna happier, her or the hospital staff.

    posted by Big Jonny on 1-20-2010 at 11:12 am

  19. I taught at the college and GED (even though the WorkForce Building my GED class is in was closed.) My students asked why we had class that day, and I said, “I have no idea, but I know Dr. King was all about people being educated.”

    posted by Helenann on 1-20-2010 at 11:20 am

  20. Monday I had off, which was nice, but I totally understand the rationale – I am in a low place right now and its a bunch of little things just like in the equation!

    posted by Lynnie on 1-20-2010 at 11:35 am

  21. Count me in the crowd who had a birthday that day. Here I thought it was just depressing because the weather was unbelievably foggy and I turned 30. :)

    posted by SC on 1-20-2010 at 12:05 pm

  22. Actually, yes, Monday sucked. I spent a very emotional early Monday morning (1 AM) with my family as we said our last good byes to my grandmother. She then passed peacefully. When I awoke later in the day, my face was swollen because the doctor who had removed my wisdom teeth two months ago left a piece of tooth in there. It was infected and I had to have emergency oral surgery. Then, to top it off, no one would cover my shift at work. I had to leave my family to complete the entire 17 hour shift. So, I agree. Monday was really depressing.

    posted by purl on 1-20-2010 at 12:13 pm

  23. As my friends Hoops & YoYo say, “Weekend, weekend, we love the weekend!” … especially when it is followed by a federal holiday and I have the day off! Definitely a good day!

    posted by Hyacinth on 1-20-2010 at 12:47 pm

  24. My wife’s birthday. MLK and neither of us had off. Plus 3 people got fired at her office the week before. We had her b-day dinner at Popeye’s. I need to move to warmer climes.

    posted by rob201 on 1-20-2010 at 12:57 pm

  25. I’m with Sock. It was my birthday too.

    posted by Jen on 1-20-2010 at 1:07 pm

  26. I got my girlfriend back that night, so it was the exact opposite for me. =]

    posted by Cody on 1-20-2010 at 1:17 pm

  27. My Monday was great – had the day off, it was unseasonably warm (sixty degrees! no clouds! light breeze!), so I sat outside and read my trash novel, ran, swung by the mall and picked up a purse (been searching for months for a new one) and relaxed.

    My Tuesday, however…

    posted by OkieMelissa on 1-20-2010 at 1:36 pm

  28. Monday was OK, Sunday was hellish. I had to drive 6.5 hours from Las Vegas to home. In the rain, at night, on a poorly marked freeway, with other drivers who speed and tailgate in the best weather and see no reason to stop now! I had the adrenaline shakes by the time I got home. Personally, I thought this article was going to be about Feb. 14th!

    posted by Speaker to Third Graders on 1-20-2010 at 2:22 pm

  29. I had a job interview on Monday and was offered the job on the spot.

    posted by Sarah on 1-20-2010 at 2:30 pm

  30. I called in sick and watched movies most of the day. =P

    posted by DMTinside on 1-20-2010 at 2:34 pm

  31. And I thought that my spider bite made for a bad day. So sorry guys, I hope it gets better.

    posted by trsndrwd on 1-20-2010 at 3:21 pm

  32. Well lets see…. Monday was my first day of unemployment, after finding a job where it seemed I could work the next ten years or so until I retired.
    I found out last week that I was ‘redundant’ in this period of ‘restructuring’ that this company (which for legal reasons I cannot name) has found itself in after not making as much money (read NOT losing) as they had anticipated.
    Nope, I guess that’s it, it did suck.

    posted by Bobsen on 1-20-2010 at 3:44 pm

  33. Question: If this supposed day is subject to change annually, as we are led to believe, how can we propose that the 18th was the most depressing day of 2010…..when we just started 2010? I can understand pinpointing the most depressing day of 2009 after all the data has been collected. 2010 has exactly 19 full days worth of data, how is that conclusive?

    posted by Dan on 1-20-2010 at 4:27 pm

  34. Wikipedia says it’s this coming Monday, actually.

    posted by T Campbell on 1-20-2010 at 6:43 pm

  35. @ Dan, this is based on past data.
    My Monday was great, it was the day before my second semester of school. I am a 53 year old Paralegal major.

    Breeded enclave, could have been breeding!

    posted by gus on 1-20-2010 at 7:17 pm

  36. I caught a wicked virus, and spent the day in a feverish delirium…sounds about right to me.

    posted by deuce on 1-20-2010 at 8:23 pm

  37. Went into work expecting it to be a normal week, and found out one of my co workers had died over the weekend. I work in a daycare, so not only are all the employees very close, we’ve had to deal with telling the children too. I doubt any day this year can beat that on the depressing scale.

    posted by Jess on 1-20-2010 at 9:41 pm

  38. great…I have Mondays off! :-)

    posted by Jenn on 1-20-2010 at 10:43 pm

  39. I got fired

    posted by Lola on 1-20-2010 at 11:54 pm

  40. My Monday was the most interesting day I’ve had since being deployed to Kabul Afghanistan. The 5 hour long firefight to include suicide bombers, rocket attacks, and small arms fire was nervewracking. We were a couple of blocks away and one explosion sent us running for the bunkers. Can’t wait to get the hell out of here!

    posted by Digby's Mom on 1-21-2010 at 1:17 am

  41. My wife’s oral surgeon called back with the biopsy results: Low Grade Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma, a malignant but supposedly slow-growing tumor.

    posted by Larry on 1-22-2010 at 11:47 am

Comment

commenting policy