The end of the Christmas holidays and facing the January slope led a university professor to name the third Monday in January in this way
The third Monday in January has also been called ‘Blue Monday’ for a few years. Apparently, it is the saddest day of the year: the Christmas holidays are over, everyone has realized that it is necessary to return to the routine, the red numbers in the bank account can give you the occasional scare and Also, you may have already noticed that your New Year’s resolutions don’t seem to be fulfilled this time either.
Although there is no scientific basis for this dire forecast, Professor Cliff Arnal of Cardiff University in the UK created a mathematical formula in 2005 to calculate this day. In fact, it was the travel company Sky Travel that asked the researcher for help in order to develop their new advertising campaign. They wanted to know in what period of time people felt the most unhappy and thus they could know when to offer their clients trips of relaxation and disconnection as the perfect recipe for sadness.
The mathematical formula took into account factors such as the economic pressure after the Christmas spree, the cold and rainy weather in mid-January and the demotivation of seeing that the New Year’s resolutions, a day after starting, have already been postponed. Every year ‘Blue Monday’ gains more popularity on social networks and, although any day of the year can be just as bad -or just as good-, these are some remedies to cope with the saddest Monday of the year in a better mood:
1. Activate your body. High or low intensity exercise is important to activate the body. According to a recent study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, leading an active life with healthy habits increases happiness. The research analyzed the lifestyle of around 14,000 people and found that those who ate fruits and vegetables daily, and played sports, reported feeling happier.
2. Take care of your mental health. Mental health is also part of general health and directly affects quality of life, so it should not be neglected. Some ways to take care of it are by meditating, writing in a journal, setting goals and objectives, or simply spending time on things that make you feel good.
3. Maintain a balanced diet. Due to the fast pace of life that we lead, it is very easy to neglect what you eat and fall into bad eating habits that wear down your physical and mental health. A study by the Carlos III Health Institute suggests that adopting a Mediterranean diet is associated with better emotional well-being. This is because this type of diet encompasses a wide variety of foods rich in fiber, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.
4. Do not neglect rest. Resting is just as important as exercising and eating healthy. And it is that sleep reduces stress, improves mood, reduces the risk of heart disease, improves memory and promotes weight loss. According to the National Sleep Foundation, teens ages 14 to 17 should get at least 8 hours of sleep, while adults ages 18 to 64 need 7 to 9 hours of sleep.
5. Give yourself a break from screens. Although it can be entertaining and a quick way to escape boredom, we must not forget the importance of enjoying the here and now. The excessive and inappropriate use of electronic devices can cause difficulties in falling asleep, concentration problems and a sedentary lifestyle. If you want to spend less time in front of the screen, try going for a walk without your mobile, turning it off at lunchtime and at least one hour before going to sleep.
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