Blue Monday – Debunking the Myth

That dreaded 3rd Monday of January, the most depressing day of the year – or is it?

With this gloomy day looming, one of Quorum’s Mental Health First Aiders, Megan Levitt, decided to do some research on the topic, with surprising results!

Did you know that ‘Blue Monday’ was actually a PR stunt originally dreamed up to sell holidays? Makes sense, I wouldn’t mind being on a beach with a cocktail right now. Knowing that it’s not something backed by science or statistics takes the power out of it; a prime example of how our mental health can be affected by commercial influences.

It’s a bit futile to try and pinpoint one day of the year that’s more depressing than any other, because we’re all so different. That beach and cocktail might be someone’s worst nightmare compared to a frosty hike up a Munro. Yes, we can have seasonal variations to our mental health, like Seasonal Affective Disorder, but it’s important to look after our wellbeing no matter the time of year.

The Coronavirus pandemic (yes, that again) has made it even more difficult for us to protect our mental health. Questioning social interactions, lack of exercise, poor eating and sleeping habits, and impacted hopes for the future have all compounded existing worries or built new ones. However, the silver lining is that more of us are having these types of conversations, which goes a long way to removing stigma, normalising mental ill health, and increasing people’s knowledge of how to better it.

We much prefer the messaging coming from mental health charity, Samaritans, turning ‘Blue Monday’ into #BrewMonday, reminding everyone to reach out for a cuppa and a catch-up with the people you care about.

Megan has been working for Quorum for almost 7 years within our Operations Department and is passionate about advocating for mental health awareness and employee wellbeing. As a trained Mental Health First Aider, Megan is a point of contact for Quorum employees who may be experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress. She knows from experience how comforting it can be just to have someone to talk to.

Quorum’s employee defined company values say it better than we ever could and it’s heartening to see how they are applicable when taken in the context of mental health:

It is our hope that all of this translates into a focused team with a common goal to do the right thing, not just to deliver success for our clients, but to have a happy and healthy workforce.

If you share these values and are interested in finding out more about what Quorum has to offer employees, why not get in touch: jobs@qnrl.com