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Lethbridge College students seek more mental health services in January, February: official

Click to play video: '‘Blue Monday’ felt at post-secondary institutions'
‘Blue Monday’ felt at post-secondary institutions
WATCH: The most depressing day of the year is hitting post-secondary students after the winter break. Malika Karim reports – Jan 15, 2018

Since the idea was first presented in 2005, Blue Monday is now annually seen as the day where all negatives seem to pile up, causing people to become depressed.

The Blue Monday notion was started as a gimmick by a travel agency that said it had calculated that the third Monday of every January is the most depressing day of the year.

On Monday, a health official at Lethbridge College said she does see an increase in students reaching out for help after the Christmas break.

“We see increased access for Shepell Counselling [Services] into February and then right after reading week, we see quite an intense increase,” said Harmoni Jones, Lethbridge College’s health promotion coordinator.

The cold weather, increased debt levels as a result of Christmas spending and failed New Year’s resolutions can all play into the January blues. For students, the added stress of a new semester and being away from home can also play into it.

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So what can you do to help kick the blues?

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“Stay active, even though it’s cold outside — put some warm clothes on,” Jones said. “Connect with people face to face instead of using technology — it’s starting to isolate us more. Also, self care is huge — taking a priority in yourself — and that is different for every individual.”

Jones said in order to stay in a healthy mindset, students should access support before their issues become a crisis.

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