What is Blue Monday and Why It Impacts Our Mental Wellbeing

After the sparkle of Christmas lights has faded we experience some of the shortest days of the year in the UK. This lack of sunshine for a prolonged period of time means our vitamin D levels drop, affecting our bones, immune system, and energy. So what is Blue Monday all about and what are we to do to improve our wellbeing on the run-up to Blue Monday and beyond to combat those winter blues? 

What is Blue Monday (Monday 19 Jan 2026) 

Blue Monday is an important awareness day that highlights the importance of recognising and addressing feelings of low mood or depression that some people experience during the winter months. It encourages prioritising mental wellbeing and seeking support when needed.

How to Combat the Winter Blues on the run up to Blue Monday and beyond… 

In January we’re all looking to find the motivation to spring out of bed and get down the gym for a work-out but for most of us, this doesn’t come. So, at Brown Paper Packages, we are here to look at the essential elements that equal positive winter wellness… And how we can contribute to feeling well this winter without setting foot in a gym! One trend in 2026 is ‘Wintering’ but it’s important to think about the pillars that build up our wellbeing and what can work for us? In January we can get sucked into ‘thinking’ that stopping drinking, losing weight, and getting fit is the right thing to do! Wintering seems to suggest we should do the opposite, but for all of us wellbeing requires an individual approach. 

Please read on for a quick summary of what action you can take towards your own wellbeing that may suit you. Adopting something that is right for you, may mean you can continue beyond January. We can’t look at our wellbeing as 1 dimensional. There are several pillars that make up our wellbeing, so we have covered off the 4 core pillars of wellbeing to make combating “Blue Monday” or the “Winter Blues” a little easier, and tailored to you. If you can try to incorporate some of these into your daily life this season, it could help you to move through and beyond Blue Monday, feeling rejuvenated and ready for growth as we enter Spring. January doesn’t have to be all about exercise. There are many elements that make up our wellbeing, so try and think more broadly when you want to feel better this winter. This blog aims to support you with this. 

4 Pillars to Wellbeing 

🌿Physical wellbeing

How your body feels and functions can impact your wellbeing. This includes movement, sleep & rest, and nutrition & hydration. Many aspects impact our physical wellbeing. Try starting the day with a large glass of water. You could switch a journey in the car for a walk or include some form of movement in your weekend. Our physical wellbeing doesn’t mean we have to sweat it out at the gym - it’s important to get a balance, and combining any of these elements in a gentle way, could have a positive impact on your mood. 

🧠 Mental / Emotional wellbeing

How you think, feel, and manage emotions can impact your overall mood. If you are suffering stress at work, try some simple breathing exercises in the morning, or write down your feelings first thing in the morning or before bed. Be kind to yourself. Self-compassion: how we talk to ourselves can have a big impact on our emotional wellbeing. Try writing some positive affirmations on a post-it note and pop them on a mirror, or somewhere you will notice each day. Try talking to someone close to you who may also be feeling the same way. Reaching our to a friend with a short voice note, text or call may allow them to open up about how they are feeling. 

🤝 Social wellbeing

Your relationships and making positive human connections can bring comfort, energy and joy. Talking things through helps us regulate our emotions. Surrounding ourselves with positive relationships can build self-worth, belonging, and lower stress hormones. Caring for someone or being cared for can give us a feeling of wellbeing. Thoughtful gestures, like sending a care package, can help nurture these connections and remind someone they’re valued.

💼 Occupational / Purpose wellbeing

Purpose is a huge part of wellbeing, especially as what brings us purpose is often our jobs… but this is not the only area of our lives that can bring us purpose. We can definitely get purpose outside of our 9-5. We can find purpose through caring for children or family, creativity & self-expesion and helping & contributing. Learning or living by your own values can also bring with it a sense of wellbeing; Growing vegetables to live a healthy, low-impact lifestyle can bring a lot of satisfaction and purpose. And to gain purpose, we don’t always need to be doing more. We can find meaning in moments, like a walk or meal time, or time in nature, if we switch off and live in that moment fully.

In summary 

At Brown Paper Packages, we believe that understanding the elements that form our wellbeing can help us to navigate what we can do, or change, to help improve our overall feeling of wellbeing. That’s why we stock many book titles that can help inspire you to try new habits that can bring peace, joy, and wellness. For wellbeing gifts and care packages, we offer you a wide and varied range of wellbeing books and ideas to send to employees and teams in order to acknowledge what can be the most difficult season, but also that can help support us throughout the years and challenges we might face. A wellbeing care package is a perfect way to soften the winter blues and move beyond Blue Monday. So, if you want to send something for Blue Monday then shop our collection of care packages or build a wellbeing care package today.