Community Corner

Jan. 16: Worst Day Of The Year?

Monday may be the best day of the year for a bad mood

 

To hear some psychologists tell it, Jan. 16, 2012—the third Monday in January—is a good day for a bad mood. In short—because of a cocktail of personal and seasonal factors—this particular day is the time when a person typically reaches their emotional low point for the year.

Indeed, January is a month when people do not have a lot of events, parties, or holidays to look forward to. And, by the third Monday, many people are struggling to cope not only with bleak weather, but also with the debts they amassed by spending too much over the holidays.

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It's also a time when people may start to feel like failures because they have broken their New Year's resolutions shortly after making them.

A few years back, a UK psychologist formerly at Cardiff University named Dr. Cliff Arnall famously devised a formula that combined various ingredients to calculate the year's gloomiest day—which turned out to be the third Monday in January.

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The complicated equation comprised seven variables: (W) weather, (D) debt, (d) monthly salary, (T) time since Christmas, (Q) time since failed quit attempt, (M) low motivational levels, and (NA) the need to take action.

More recently, Arnall admitted that it wasn't particularly helpful to identify the year's worst day because it became "a self-fulfilling prophecy."

Even so, many area therapists and counselors agree that it's particularly important to take care of yourself at this time of year, when it's cold and people are feeling a post-holiday letdown. And there are many ways to beat the blues.

"Stay connected in 'real life' with people who can nourish you," said Bernadette Armiento, a holistic health and nutrition counselor. "It’s so easy, especially in the winter, to become too involved with virtual communications on Facebook, Twitter, etc. 

"To fill that craving for real connection, set up time to get together in person with friends, family, or colleagues," she said."Perhaps take that walk in the brisk air, or meet for a workout or yoga class—leave time for tea afterward so you can catch up and encourage each other."

New Jersey mediator Pamela Zivari said that, sometimes, staying upbeat is not the be all to end all.

"Now that the holiday excitement is gone, true frustration and sadness around an issue could be a head’s up that some kind of adjustment needs to be made," she said. "If you’re upset about a very specific area, perhaps partner with a friend or join a group of people with similar desires for improvement.

"A great cure for the doldrums is feeling like you’re making progress in some area that has frustrated you in the past," she said.

Therapist Bronwyn O'Neil said it's her experience that clinical disorders actually peak in the spring and not in January.

But "some general tips I would recommend for mood regulation during the winter blues are the following: getting outside in the sunlight hours despite the cold, while also staying active," she said.

She also advised those suffering from seasonal affective disorder to invest in a light box—you can purchase one through the Northern Lights Technologies website.

"Also increasing the amount of exercise to counter inertia and to increase energy," she said. "Also a sure fire tip is to plan ahead for that next vacation ... we all need to look forward to something."

Therapist Erica Gerstman agreed, saying that those feeling down should set a goal, plan a vacation, organize something to look forward to, and "think of all the things you are grateful for."

Others recommend taking up a new hobby or, next year, plan to make your resolutions at a different time—perhaps in March or April.

Finally, on the bright side, it's only five months until the day Arnall figured is the happiest one of the year—the third Friday in June—when flowers, sunny evenings, and pleasant memories of childhood summers all come together to create a very good mood.


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