{"id":45746,"title":"Blue Monday\u2026 and Its Sneaky September Cousin","description":"Blue Monday was born in 2005 from a travel company\u2019s marketing stunt.  They claimed they\u2019d found the \u201cmost depressing day of the year\u201d using a formula: bad weather, Christmas debt, failed resolutions, and low motivation = book a holiday.  Total pseudoscience, but it stuck because, well, January is a mood-killer","content":"<p>Blue Monday was born in 2005 from a travel company\u2019s marketing stunt. They claimed they\u2019d found the \u201cmost depressing day of the year\u201d using a formula: bad weather, Christmas debt, failed resolutions, and low motivation = book a holiday. Total pseudoscience, but it stuck because, well, January <em>is<\/em> a mood-killer. Dark mornings, post-Christmas bills, and abandoned resolutions don\u2019t exactly scream motivation.<\/p><p>But let\u2019s be real \u2014 doesn\u2019t September feel suspiciously similar? You\u2019re back from holiday, your inbox is a war zone, the tan fades faster than your will to attend another meeting, and suddenly you\u2019re pricing city breaks \u201cjust to cope.\u201d Call it Blue Monday\u2019s sneaky cousin.<\/p><p>So what do you do? Get daylight, move your body, tackle money stress head-on, and reframe those \u201cfailed\u201d resolutions as progress-in-disguise. Stay connected, add small joys (yes, biscuits count), and make your space cosy enough to trick yourself into liking it.<\/p><p>Whether it\u2019s January or September, remember this: Blue Monday might be marketing nonsense, but low motivation is real. You\u2019re not broken, you\u2019re just human. Keep it light, keep it moving, and don\u2019t give the blues free rent in your head.<\/p><h3><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/ltadwz890tvaz8aui5ltz8a9bo96ykgrndecortltcqpr4gw.png.png?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"ltadwz890tvaz8aui5ltz8a9bo96ykgrndecortltcqpr4gw.png.png?w=1140&amp;v=2\" \/><\/h3>","urlTitle":"blue-monday","url":"\/blog\/blue-monday\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/blue-monday\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/thestroppycolleague.com\/blog\/blue-monday\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1737265689,"updatedAt":1757315669,"publishedAt":1757315669,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":292132,"name":"The Stroppy Colleague"},"tags":[],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/3codjrftwloxz1uvmifsejs0tg917tyu08u6iv311vtujbrd.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/3codjrftwloxz1uvmifsejs0tg917tyu08u6iv311vtujbrd.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/3codjrftwloxz1uvmifsejs0tg917tyu08u6iv311vtujbrd.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"blue monday","metaDescription":"","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":42259,"title":"Why the Why Matters","url":"\/blog\/why-the-why-is-important-in-everything-you-choose-to-do\/","urlTitle":"why-the-why-is-important-in-everything-you-choose-to-do","division":292132,"description":"The \"why\" is important in everything you do because it serves as the foundation for your actions, decisions, and motivations.  Understanding the reason behind your actions gives them purpose and direction.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/orjyevdszolkte6kmwh0k6i2wacitqmuntb9db17kxdv1mqf.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/orjyevdszolkte6kmwh0k6i2wacitqmuntb9db17kxdv1mqf.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":51575,"title":"Wednesday: The Midweek Mirage","url":"\/blog\/wednesday-the-midweek-mirage\/","urlTitle":"wednesday-the-midweek-mirage","division":292132,"description":"It\u2019s Wednesday.  The calendar says \u201cmidweek,\u201d but your soul says, \u201chow is it not Friday?\u201d You\u2019ve survived two days (or one if you had the bank holiday off) of passive-aggressive emails, coffee that tastes like regret, and meetings that could\u2019ve been an email.  Congratulations\u2014you\u2019re officially in the corporate twilight zone!","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/mai6vfqq19eqom2xrigmrqoaieiyifsimuayaxg9cxzrw0zt.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/mai6vfqq19eqom2xrigmrqoaieiyifsimuayaxg9cxzrw0zt.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":52674,"title":"Groundhog Monday","url":"\/blog\/groundhog-monday\/","urlTitle":"groundhog-monday","division":292132,"description":"It\u2019s Monday again.  Somehow.  Didn\u2019t we just do this? The weekend has disappeared faster than my enthusiasm for corporate life, and once again I\u2019m staring at a screen, pretending to care about things that make my soul itch","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/0tzkaun0nndt2i65f6sxin1kix9hdqcprmsxhvjdi9gne5uy.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/0tzkaun0nndt2i65f6sxin1kix9hdqcprmsxhvjdi9gne5uy.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}