Let the rhythm beat the blues this January

Sane Chief Executive Marjorie Wallace, Pic; Sane Press

If you’ve been feeling down this week, well you’re not the only one – it started officially with ‘Blue Monday’. With the first bills dropping through the post-box, ubiquitous gloomy weather and Christmas holidays a distant memory, it is little wonder the third Monday in January – popularly known as ‘Blue Monday’ – is seen as the most depressing day of the year.

While experienced by many as a passing phase during the bleak midwinter, the term belies the fact that for others it signals the onset or continuation of depressive illness.

Marjorie Wallace CBE, Chief Executive of the charity Sane, which works to help improve the quality of life of people suffering from mental illness, has witnessed a rise in recent years of the number of people suffering from the condition, which is linked to a lack of sunlight.

She said: “We receive around 1,500 calls each month and the number is always increasing. At this time many people suffer from season affective disorder which affect brain impulses and make people depressed”.

In response Sane has teamed up with music streaming service Spotify and Feeling Gloomy – a nightclub that bills itself as the only one in the world devoted to playing sad music – to produce Blue Mood Month, launched to coincide with Blue Monday.

This calls on people to choose their favourite ‘sad songs that make you happy’ – the melancholy melodies that, although dark or miserable in tone and lyrics, can actually cheer us up. After compiling a playlist of around 10-12 tracks on Spotify, users are then encouraged to share the dolorous ditties on Facebook and Twitter.

By harnessing musical catharsis, the partner organisations hope to help lift people’s spirits and moods – but at the same time raise awareness of depression.

Blue Mood Month forms part of Sane’s 25^th Anniversary Black Dog Campaign, which aims to reduce the stigma around mental illness while encouraging people to seek help rather than suffer in silence.

Marjorie Wallace said, “We are delighted to be partnering with Feeling Gloomy and Spotify as part of Sane’s Black Dog Campaign. We know that connecting through music can be particularly powerful. I hope that the playlists will bring people together with shared songs, tracks and emotions so that they may feel less isolated, not just in Blue Mood Month but throughout the year.”

We asked people along the EastLondonLines if they had heard of Blue Monday.

Carol, from Tower Hamlets. Pic; Duygu Saykan

Carol, a 65 year-old teacher from Tower Hamlets said: “Yes, I did hear about Blue Monday but I feel particularly happy today as it is sunny day and I am out with my dog”.

Dogu, from Hackney. Pic: Duygu Saykan

Dogu Sugecirmez, 33, who works at Old Street café said: “I feel a bit gloomy, sad and tired today. It might be psychological but January for me is the dullest month of the year”.

Other people were unaware of the term but had nevertheless experienced its chilly touch.

Folayemi, from Lewisham. Pic: Duygu Saykan

Folayemi Brown, 22, an entrepreneur from Lewisham said: “It is true that I feel more depressed in January comparing with other months but this is just affect of being in the middle of the winter season. I did not know it was Blue Monday today”.