Blue Monday: 7 things to make you feel better today

Monday 18 January is Blue Monday, AKA the Monday alleged to be the most depressing day of the year.

We now know that the day is pseudoscience, and started life as a PR stunt for travel firms looking to sell holidays.

But there is no denying that the combination of factors identified by Blue Monday founder, psychologist Cliff Arnal, (winter weather, post-Christmas debt and broken New Year's resolutions) can make things feel a little more difficult.

And this January has already been tougher than most because of the ongoing pandemic and the third lockdown in England and, while we're unable to meet our friends for coffee or hug our family, we need to wring every bit of joy we can out of our days.

With that in mind, here are some things to brighten your Blue Monday, from vaccine news to the sea shanty star who's going pro.

1. The Covid vaccination programme is gathering pace

Over-70s and people classed as clinically extremely vulnerable will begin receiving invites to have the vaccine from this week.

These two groups are third and fourth in the vaccine priority list, after care home residents and staff, followed by over-80s and frontline health and social care workers.

So far, the government says 3.8 million people in the UK have received one dose of the vaccine. With all adults estimated to have had the jab by September.

The government has said that lockdown measures can begin to ease from mid-February to early March, once the top four risk groups have been vaccinated.

2. This grandad left his home for the first time since March to get the vaccine

If you're looking to avoid crying this Blue Monday, look away now.

Reg Davies went viral last weekend after his daughter documented his joy at having the vaccine on TikTok.

"Ooh, trees!" Davies shouted jovially, as he was driven to a GP surgery in Witham to have the Pfizer/Biontech vaccine.

The video, posted to the 84-year-old's TikTok @reggie1936, received over 34,000 likes, with commenters expressing their delight that Davies had received his jab.

One commenter wrote: "You are who we are protecting. You're worth every day we've been in lockdown just to make sure you don't come to harm."

Another said: "Thanks for this Reg, it made me smile. I can't wait for my parents to have theirs. And you don't look a day over 60! We need to know your secret!"

3. The days are getting longer

The sun is now rising before 8am and, less than three weeks from now, it will begin setting after 5pm.

It won't be long before we’re taking walks in the sunshine after work, and being woken up by sunlight creeping through our curtains.

4. Sea shanty star quits his day job after viral success

TikTok's sea shanties have been keeping us going this last week and, thanks to the joy they've been bringing the internet, the man who started the trend is receiving some excellent karma.

Scottish folk musician and postman Nathan Evans posted his first sea shanty in July 2020, before they exploded in popularity at the end of last year.

Now, the 26-year-old has over half a million followers on TikTok, and he's decided it's time to turn sea shanties into a full-time gig.

Speaking to BBC Scotland's The Nine, he said: "Just today I have had to say to my boss 'I am so sorry but I cannot come back', I am inundated with opportunities.

"I am no longer a postman as of tonight.

"The shout is to record some sea shanties properly and get them out as records and then keep going with my TikTok and my social media."

5. Home workers are saving a bunch of cash

Missing your colleagues? Sick of quickly tidying your room when someone asks you to 'jump on a Zoom'? We can't blame you.

But there are definite upsides to being forced to continue working from home for a while longer.

In December last year, a survey by Aldermore Bank found that Brits were saving £110 per week by working from home. Similarly, Barclaycard revealed that consumer spending was down 7.1 per cent in 2020, compared with 2019.

Allow yourself to daydream about what that extra cash will buy you on your next holiday.

6. No one will ask what you’re doing for Valentine’s Day this year

Single and ready to ignore the next person who asks if you've ever tried Zoom dating? Attached and desperate to avoid packed restaurants, pricey set menus and disappointment?

Well, this year, you're off the hook. The government has said it plans to begin easing restrictions in March, meaning you're legally obliged to sack off V-Day this year.

Even for those in relationships, it takes off the pressure of feeling you have to keep up with everyone else’s plans.

7. There’s an easy way to mix up your daily walk in London

Sick of doing laps around your local park? An unofficial tube map for walkers could help you find a change of scenery for your daily exercise.

Instead of tube stations, the Greenground Map provides distances between outdoor spaces like forests, parks and cemeteries in the capital.

Graphic designer Helen Ilus created the map to encourage more people to travel by foot in London. So, next time you’re struggling to motivate yourself to leave the house, why not check out a green space you haven’t visited before?

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Why is Blue Monday ‘the most depressing day’ of the year?