Craig tells us about the habits he’s choosing and why we shouldn’t listen to ‘Blue Monday’.
When I was doing some research about events happening in January, I came across a day labelled as ‘Blue Monday’. The term made my shoulders drop, so I delved a little deeper into what it means. What I found is that this particular Monday every January is apparently considered to be one of the unhappiest days of the year. When you poke around even further behind the label, you can find lots of conflicting information about its origins. Some claim that it was a term coined in the early 2000s, as a marketing ploy to get people to think about booking holidays. There’s nothing ‘concrete’ behind this day that says it’s a particularly sad day, but it’s got legs because so many people bought into it. For some of us, the label sticks and we choose to believe it, which then impacts our behaviour – I believe it’s a blue/sad day, so, therefore, I will behave in a blue/sad way… Phew, all this from a label? It’s a bit like when the weather presenter says, “Today is going to be a miserable day because it’s raining” But who says it’s going to be miserable? I’ll choose what kind of day I’m going to have, thank you! I won’t let others (or the weather) dictate to me how my day is going to be.
This got me thinking, if we chose to laugh in the face of a label like ‘Blue Monday’, what could we choose to do to create a springboard for a successful year ahead? Maybe, it’s about rebalancing and thinking about how we take care of ourselves. For some of us, this may be thinking about things like meditation, to gain some clarity. For others, it might be thinking about how they can make 2025 their best year yet in their work and personal life. For me, it’s about the whole me, specifically, creating an environment where I look after myself mentally, physically, socially and spiritually.
You can start your habits for 2025 at any time, it’s never too late or too early (you can read about why I call them habits not resolutions here in my previous blog). The habits that I’ve committed myself to this year are:
- Mentally – I’ve increased my focus on meditation, as I’ve always loved to focus on my breathing. It’s something I thought I’d never get into, but every time I do it, I feel great. I can even notice now when I haven’t meditated for a few days. I’ve also set myself a target on Audible to listen to more books this year. For 2024 I set a target of 10 books, but ended up achieving around 28, which is more than I ever thought I’d achieve!
- Physically – I’m doing more exercise and I’ve even tried something new by attending exercise classes. This has not only benefited me physically, but it’s been amazing mentally, and a step even further into my stretch zone
- Socially – I’m connecting more with my friends, beyond just seeing my bandmates. One way I’ve done this is by starting to play golf again
- Spiritually – this links everything together for me, especially through meditation and taking time for myself
Why not choose to start your new habits now? It doesn’t have to be 1 January for us to commit to making a change. Why not start the minute you finish reading this blog? Make commitments to help yourself each day a little more than you helped yourself yesterday. I’d recommend choosing just one little thing, committing to it, and then building on it.
Marketing and media done for the right reasons is a blessing, improving our lives and achieving amazing results. However, when it’s done for the wrong reasons, it can be damaging. The concept of Blue Monday has become a label, with one website calling it the most ‘depressing day of the year’. We need to be careful with the labels we choose, so we don’t start to own them. We need to take a step back and say, “No, I’m believing that I’m going to choose to have a great Monday, every Monday!”
What habits are you choosing for yourself today?