Even with temperatures rising into the single digits, this Blue Monday still feels incredibly gloomy because of the fog and clouds hanging over Saskatoon.
Luckily, there are ways to fight it.
Saskatoon has been experiencing some rather warm weather for the time of year.
“The fog and clouds function like a blanket. At night the heat gets trapped, but during the day the sun gets blocked, so temperatures are staying stable. This type of weather is not very common. Last time we saw this was in 2018,” said Terri Lang, meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Blue Monday may have started as a PR stunt in 2005 to sell holidays. People do tend to feel moody or even depressed during the winter months, especially if there isn’t a lot of sunlight.
“The lack of sunshine can really put a damper on people’s mood,” Lang said. “People tend to not go outside with such gloomy weather, even if the temperatures are on the mild side.”
Natalie Toman, health promotion manager at ParticipACTION, understands that many may not want to leave their house, because of the lack of sunshine.
“It is important to remember that any time you move your body, you are being active. If you don’t want to go outside and take an hour-long hike, just stay inside and try moving your arms and feet, put on some good music and see how that feels,” Toman said.
Toman emphasized that 15 minutes of exercise a day is sufficient for being healthy and keeping the blues away.
“You don’t need to go for an hour-long hike. Things like folding laundry, getting up to get a glass of water, playing with your children or parking your car a little bit further away count as physical activity and do wonders for lifting your mood.”
Comments