Usually taking place on the third Monday in January, Blue Monday is considered to be the saddest day of the year. With Christmas over, our patience with the miserable weather wearing thin, and New Year’s resolutions already broken, it’s harder to work out how to beat blue Monday.

If you’re feeling sad because your stash of Christmas choccy has all gone, then we can easily fix that. Nothing adds a big sprinkling of happiness to your day like a delicious chocolatey treat, so browse our unrestrained range of tasty treats and find the perfect mood-booster.

However, if you want to find other ways to beat the Blue Monday feeling, we’ve got that covered too with this fun list of ways to make this day more Happy Monday than Blue Monday…

Do things that make you feel good

On a day like Blue Monday, we should all be doing things that make us feel good. Everyone is different and everyone has different ways to perk themselves up, so focus on yourself and do something that will make you feel happy.

Maybe your happy place is on a yoga mat, or maybe it’s on the sofa with a good book. From meditating to dancing around the kitchen in your pyjamas, do whatever makes you feel good to inject a little happiness into Blue Monday – you deserve it.

Eat your favourite things

Any January diet resolutions should be forgotten on Blue Monday, because the only thing that will make this day more miserable is calorie counting. Whether this means pancakes for breakfast, going out for lunch, or indulging in a second bowl of ice cream after dinner, do it! Your taste buds and mood will thank you.

It probably comes as no surprise that our favourite thing to eat is chocolate, so we’ll certainly be indulging in some to beat the Blue Monday feeling, and we think everyone else should too because chocolate is a scientifically-proven pick-me-up.

Stimulating the production of endorphins (little hormones that make you happy), chocolate is perhaps the easiest and tastiest way to boost your mood. Dark chocolate is the chocolate variety most likely to stimulate endorphins, so you may like to browse our delicious collection of dark chocolate treats and stock up ready for Blue Monday.

We don’t know about you, but we’re very happy that we now have a solid excuse to eat our favourite chocolate on this day (and every other day for that matter). Thanks, science!

Retail therapy

Buying something nice for yourself is a sure-fire way to make you smile, so indulging in a little retail therapy will certainly beat the Blue Monday feeling. Whether in person or online, browsing clothes, accessories, gadgets, and more is always fun and you can’t beat the buzz of pressing that big buy now button.

We think that retail therapy is particularly mood-boosting when chocolate is in the shopping basket, and you’ll find plenty of suitable purchases here. If you want a shiny new gadget that will make cold January days a little more bearable, our heavenly hot chocolate machine the Velvetiser would be perfect. 

But you don’t have to break the bank to get that buzz – treating yourself to any of our very affordable chocolate selectors is also guaranteed to perk you up on Blue Monday. From our nut selectors to our classic and caramel selectors, we have a huge variety of happy chocolate to choose from.

Go for a walk

Fresh air and exercise do wonders for your mood, so going for a walk is an excellent way to beat that dreaded Blue Monday feeling. Taking a wander somewhere peaceful and green is sure to cheer you up, so pick a nice park or a pretty lake. It’s January so it’ll probably be raining, but don’t let that put you off! Don your wellies and embrace your inner child by jumping in some puddles.

From lowering your stress hormone levels to boosting your serotonin, nature has been scientifically proven to boost relaxation, so a walk will really help if Blue Monday is getting to you. For maximum relaxation you should unplug from technology, so put your phone away and just take in the crisp air and wintery surroundings.

Book a holiday

Cold and uneventful, Blue Monday will probably leave you craving some sun and adventure, so you could book a holiday to make sure you have something to look forward to in the coming months.

Just think, in a few months you could be posing for photos in Italy, sipping wine in France, or lying on a beach in Spain. However, the destination isn’t important. Having a getaway on the horizon will do you the world of good. So, whether you book a holiday in Cornwall or Croatia, the promise of a change of scenery, a nice hotel, and an excuse to eat out every night is sure to brighten your Blue Monday.

Listen to upbeat music

Music can have such an impact on our mood, so when the Blue Monday feeling starts creeping in, squash it with some happy songs. For a quick boost, go for a classically cheery sound, like getting into the groove with an 80s playlist – who doesn’t feel happy when jamming to Wham?

However, Blue Monday-busting music doesn’t necessarily have to be fast-paced and uptempo. Anything that makes you feel happy inside will do, so putting on songs that remind you of special occasions, family holidays, or funny memories would be perfect.

Sharing your favourite music with other people can also be lovely, so maybe cheer a loved one up this Blue Monday with a bespoke playlist – it’ll make you both feel warm and fuzzy.

Meet up with positive people

Surrounding yourself with positive people is a great way to avoid any Blue Monday sadness and infuse some much-needed sunshine into a bleak Monday in January.

You know that friend who always makes you laugh until your belly hurts? And the one who’s always there to greet you with a warm drink and a warm smile? Friends like these are the perfect antidote to that Blue Monday feeling, so meet up with them for a catch-up and a good giggle. If your sunny friends don’t live close by, arrange a video call and have a virtual laugh and hug instead. Just seeing their face and hearing their stories will bring a smile to your face.

Feel-good films

Get comfy on your sofa (preferably wrapped in a blanket with a big mug of hot chocolate in hand) and watch a feel-good film. When it comes to choosing a movie, steer clear of tear-jerkers and head straight for the romcoms and Disney flicks. Anything with singing and dancing would also be great – maybe inject some ABBA into your day with a Mamma Mia marathon or conjure up some youthful nostalgia with a High School Musical flick. Whatever your choice, you’re guaranteed to be left humming along to some musical favourite for the rest of the week…

If you can’t decide, just go for one of your favourite films because something you’ve already seen a thousand times makes great comfort viewing (go on, you know you want to see Legally Blonde again).

We hope this list will help you beat the Blue Monday feeling, whether that be on Blue Monday itself or any other day that feels a little gloomy. Now please excuse us, we’re just off to book a holiday and enjoy a little mood-boosting chocolate…