Strap in, this is probably going to be a short sharp one cause I’m not giving much of my time to it.
Blue Monday is a marketing gimmick. It is the name given to a day in January (typically the third Monday of the month) said by a UK travel company, to be the most depressing day of the year. The concept was first published in a 2005 press release from the company, which claimed to have calculated the date using an "equation".
And it’s entirely false.
I was sat in a meeting with the Head of HR for a large corporate last week and she asked my opinion on it. And since then it’s been all over my news feed and in my inbox.
At the time I said it’s not something we really engage with as a mental health charity.
It wasn’t the time or place to express my true opinion.
But honestly, it pisses me right off.
I’m not easily offended, but to use an illness that destroys lives as a marketing gimmick leaves a sour taste.
It wouldn’t be acceptable to exploit any other disability or illness as a marketing tactic.
But I guess that just sums up the attitude towards mental health all together.
It downplays the devastating reality of depression.
Depression isn’t as simple as being sad because it’s dark and cold right now. And it’s certainly not fixed by booking a holiday or being sent a feel good email from HR with wellness tips on it.
So please, if you actually care about mental health, don’t engage with Blue Monday propaganda, take this seriously every day of the year.
Vicky x
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