Strike a balance between work and play: perform a hands-on activity that you enjoy
Another way to counteract the depressing nature of this day is to embrace an activity. Here's some suggestions. Contrary to popular opinion, gardening can be done in January – so slip into your gardening outfit and step outside! Give your apple trees and rose bushes a winter prune, trim back trees and climbers before birds start nesting, get on with some weeding, or clean and prep your plant pots for the season ahead. Even if all you have is a balcony or window box, you can use this time to begin planning and researching what you want to grow this year. If being a green thumb doesn't interest you, then maybe cooking, decorating or some DIY will. Investing your energy into a productive activity and reaping the rewards instantaneously is the perfect formula for a not-so-blue Monday.
Inject some meaning into Blue Monday: make the most of January offers and give a gift!
Of course maxing out on the January sales and treating yourself to something you've had your eye on might be the perfect pick-me-up, but why not offer something to someone else? Generosity pays! Since one factor contributing to Blue Monday is the unfortunate realisation that Christmas has receded into the past, why not rekindle that festive spirit and arrange a gift for a loved one. Giving can take many forms and needn't come with a price tag. Sending a card or a handwritten letter unannounced are touching ways to let someone know you care, or – cost free – you can even just pick up the phone. We all know that at the heart of it, it's the thought that counts. And now more than ever is the perfect time to connect with people.
Blue skies ahead
There you have it, a handful of ways to stop this third Monday of the year from being such a dull date. And if you don't feel like doing much on Blue Monday itself, why not use the time to roughly plan some bright things for the future and instead optimistically look ahead? From re-evaluating your new year's resolutions to deciding upon your next adventure when the circumstances allow, keep your eyes fixed on the horizon. Blue Monday is just a concept – it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom! And don't forget, spring is just around the corner...