5 Top Tips to banish those Blue Monday Blues

Prevention is better than cure on Blue Monday

Blue Monday is apparently cited as the most depressing day of the year. The funny thing is that when I first wrote this post in 2016 Blue Monday was actually recognised by many to be the last Monday in January. Traditionally Blue Monday is supposed to fall on the third Monday of January, though due to the way Christmas fell in 2015, this dreary day seems to be on the fourth Monday.

This year I notice it is back to being the third. I wish people would make up their minds when we are supposed to be blue and when we aren’t!

Also if people aren’t sure when Blue Monday is supposed to be, does that mean double the dreary blueness!

The whole reason behind Blue Monday had alluded me. Therefore I decided to do a bit of research on the subject and came up with 5 things about Blue Monday that I didn’t already know.

5 Things you didn’t know about Blue Monday

A former lecturer Cliff Arnall, was commissioned in 2005 by a UK based travel agency to find the most depressing day of the year as a way to market winter vacations.
Arnall used various data to pinpoint why Blue Monday is the most depressing day by combining weather, debt, time since Christmas, motivation levels, the need to take action, and time since New Year’s resolutions were made.
Ironically, since 2005 other scientists have done their own investigations and found that there is very little science to support Arnall’s claim!
Yes, the weather can affect your mood such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is recognised as a real condition that causes a form of depression.
Light therapy is one way of combating SAD and potentially putting off a severe attack of the Blue Monday Blues. My personal preference is to spend this time of year in the sun.

Preventing Blue Monday from getting a grip

Selling is really hard and even when it’s going well, a sales person still needs to dig deep and rise above the general greyness that can stifle motivation. Whether it is January’s Blue Monday, or just a pressurised month when the achieving that vital target is high on the list, how you address the blues is vital to success.

So here are my 5 top tips for dragging my butt off the dreary chair to make sure I stay motivated to sell successfully.

Take a break – Sometimes when it gets too much, doing something completely different for a short time is a great way of preventing the pressure from rising. Even making a hot drink and a bite to eat helps me get a fresh perspective and more positive focus on the task in hand.
Exercise – Getting the oxygen pumping round the body helps the little grey cells as well as improving that overall feeling of well being. I like to take my Labrador for a walk, which really helps me take a break, get some fresh air and even a dose of sunlight to combat the feeling of SAD.
Talk to someone – Just like any small business owner, selling can be a lonely job. Picking up the phone and talking to someone helps me realise that there is a real world out there, with real people who also don’t like the January Blues.
Book a trip – Now I am a fan of holidays. Some say that for several months of the year I am on permanent holiday living in Spain. However organising a trip, even a day out sightseeing, really does help. It also has the added bonus of giving you something to work towards.
Treats – Rewarding myself with something always helps keep me motivated. I guess it is the sales person inside me. I like to make it time sensitive so I treat myself by completing a particularly boring or hard task by a certain time.

I hope you find my top five tips to combat the January blues, of great use. Please do let me know what you do to keep going during this time of year. I might just start to do it too as every little helps!

However, if you are struggling with the blues, because your sales performance is not where it should be, then book a call with me. I guarantee that in 20 minutes I will definitely have shared with you at least one nugget of information that will increase your sales success!

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