Posted on 01/23/2006 5:34:32 PM PST by blam
It's not just you: yesterday really was depressing
By Catriona Davies
(Filed: 24/01/2006)
If you woke up yesterday feeling gloomy and found that, from then on, things got worse, there may be an explanation. According to one academic's calculations, yesterday was the most depressing day of the year.
Cliff Arnall, a psychologist at Cardiff University who devised the formula, blamed a combination of debts, failed New Year's resolutions, the cold, grey weather and the length of time since Christmas.
"For most people, there's a realisation by the third week of January that spending on sales items needs to be stopped so that Christmas can be paid for," he said.
Those employees who are paid at the end of the month have had a long wait to replenish their coffers, he said. "Nearing pay day may seem like a positive, but it may also result in increased stress as the person realises they won't be able to pay off their Christmas bills."
The part of Mr Arnall's formula that relates to the weather lived up to expectations yesterday. Sancha Lancaster, of the Met Office, said: "Most of the country is gloomy and under cloud, with temperatures struggling to get above 5C [41F].
"The last week in January and first week in February are traditionally the coldest times of the year." The average amount of sunshine for January was only 43 hours - less than an hour and a half a day.
The Citizens Advice Bureau and Samaritans both agreed that this was their busiest time of the year.
Don Levene, a CAB spokesman, said: "People are getting their credit card bills and may have spent more than they can afford. Most people were paid a week early before Christmas which makes January particularly long money-wise."
Mike Cobb, of the Samaritans, said: "We get more calls from people feeling depressed or suicidal at this time of year. There is Seasonal Affective Disorder because of the lack of sunlight, and people are returning to the worries that they put behind them at Christmas."
Read my post on the Hasselhoff thread..IMHO it should cheer anybody up.
I shouldn't laugh at someone else's sadness, but I'm a vile wench and I did.
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