Is the third Monday of January truly the saddest day of the year?

Experts offer advice to cope with Blue Monday – the so-called ‘saddest day of the year’.

Despite sunshine and a fresh blanket of snow in the Maritimes, Monday was unofficially the saddest day of the year.

Registered psychologist Simon Sherry says Blue Monday is a myth and originally started as a marketing campaign to get people to travel south. However, Sherry does say the winter blues and seasonal depression are quite real, and this is the time of year when people tend to struggle.

“With darkness it changes our entire circadian rhythm and when that rhythm is off it’s easier to have low energy and low mood. On top of that, the cold, the wet, the misery that’s fallen in the last 24 hours does really discourage people from getting out and active and engaged in their world,” says Sherry.

“So, when you’ve got a scrambled biological rhythm paired with low levels of activity people are more susceptible to the winter blues or worse.”

For those experiencing winter blues or seasonal depression, Sherry says it can last all season until sunlight becomes more prevalent.

“Winter blues, a reasonable estimate might be that 12 to 15 percent of the population in a place like Canada. In terms of the more serious subtype, we call it seasonal defective disorder, that is still going to affect as many as one to two percent of Canadians. In other words, this is a serious problem,” adds Sherry.

With the holidays behind us, money coach Wendy Brookhouse says those who exceeded their budget could also be feeling regret and shame.

“Stress levels tend to go up. First of all, because we don’t have the holidays to look forward to, but we do have the ramifications of the holidays sometimes. That could mean our credit card bills are starting to arrive and also the day (Blue Monday) is around the time when maybe we have fallen off the wagon with our new year’s goals. So, there are a whole bunch of things that I think are contributing to the mental state of Canadians at this time,” says Brookhouse.

Brookhouse suggests cutting spending where possible to start paying off debt from the holidays.

“I also think it’s a great time to look at what’s in your freezer because a lot of time we have a lot of food in our freezer. So, if we eat the freezer food that’s one way to save on our grocery bill,” she says.

Brookhouse adds that one way to combat this is changing your mindset, and controling spending where you can.

“Yes, we are getting squeezed on that with inflation and other pieces, but what are some things that you have control of that you can change,” adds Brookhouse.

Some Maritimers, like students Hannah Allen and Tori Whittemore, admit the winter season can be tough for many. Despite that, their focus on Monday was to make the best of their snow day.

“There is a beautiful snowstorm, classes are cancelled and we are outside and getting to enjoy some lovely weather,” says Whittemore.

“The winter does bring on a lot of lonely feelings and season affective disorder is a real thing so it’s important to check in with the people you know and love,” says Allen.

Others, like Greg Hirsch, say all seasons are great – even winter. He loves getting outdoors, taking it all in and suggests others do the same.

“Get some hiking boots on, get out, see some trees, see some wildlife,” says Hirsch.

The 19th is a special day for Kelsie Quinlan – it’s her birthday. A day she plans to spend with her pups and partner Nick Jordan who got the day off due to the snow.

“I am going to study and eat some Crumbl Cookies,” says Quinlan.

To stay positive this time of year, Quinlan says she stays active and walks with their dogs.

Sara McFarlane says January can be a sad month, but Monday’s sun gave her spirits a lift.

“I feel like it’s the happiest day I have had in a long time. This snow is amazing. It’s just like the best ray of sunshine,” she says.

As for advice, Sherry says getting out is one way to combat winter blues. He adds it’s important to socialize and not head to a place of isolation.