What is Blue Monday?

Blue Monday is a concept thought up in 2005 for a UK travel company, and is typically the third Monday in January. It is meant to be when we are feeling at our most depressed.

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Although dismissed as a marketing stunt by many, Blue Monday can also be an opportunity to reflect on our mental health.

We have a number of online articles on the importance of being outside and connecting with nature to our mental health, including a piece by Chris Packham reflecting on enjoying nature during the coronavirus pandemic, an extract from The Wild Remedy by Emma Mitchell on how nature can heal us, and an article by author Joe Harkness on how birdwatching saved his life.

We also have a round-up of books for getting active and taking notice of wildlife and the world around us.

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The gallery below is a celebration of blue in the natural world, and features 18 different species of animal, plant and fungi.

More photo galleries to enjoy: 

A blue dragon sea slug. © S.Rohrlach/Getty
A blue dragon sea slug. © S.Rohrlach/Getty
Blue tit in spring on a small branch. © Mark L Stanley/Getty
Blue tit in spring on a small branch. © Mark L Stanley/Getty
Common blue butterfly on marjoram (Origanum vulgare).
Common blue butterfly on marjoram. © Ian West/Oxford Scientific/Getty Images Plus
The Grand Cayman blue iguana. © Michael Fitzsimmons/Getty
The Grand Cayman blue iguana. © Michael Fitzsimmons/Getty
A bumblebee visiting a bluebell. © Jacky Parker Photography/Getty
A bumblebee visiting a bluebell. © Jacky Parker Photography/Getty
Sri Lankan blue magpie in Sri Lanka. © feathercollector/Getty
Sri Lankan blue magpie in Sri Lanka. © feathercollector/Getty
Blue jays in the snow. © Gary Carter/Getty
Blue jays in the snow. © Gary Carter/Getty
Striped surgeonfish at the Great Barrier Reef, Unesco World Heritage Site. © Norbert Probst/Getty
Striped surgeonfish at the Great Barrier Reef, Unesco World Heritage Site. © Norbert Probst/Getty
A young panther chameleon. © fotoclick/Getty
A young panther chameleon. © fotoclick/Getty
Common kingfisher in Sussex, UK. © Lillian King/Getty
Common kingfisher in Sussex, UK. © Lillian King/Getty
Blue shark in the sunlight at Gordon's Bay, Azores. © Margriet Tilstra/Getty
Blue shark in the sunlight at Gordon's Bay, Azores. © Margriet Tilstra/Getty
A Entoloma hochstetteri fungi, in the West Coast Bush at Woods Creek, Greymouth, New Zealand. © NicksPlace/Getty
A Entoloma hochstetteri fungi, in the West Coast Bush at Woods Creek, Greymouth, New Zealand. © NicksPlace/Getty
Blue-winged kookaburra. © Rini Kools/Getty
Blue-winged kookaburra. © Rini Kools/Getty
Blue-speckled tree monitor, found on the island of Batanta in Indonesia. © Westranger/Getty
Blue-speckled tree monitor, found on the island of Batanta in Indonesia. © Westranger/Getty
Eastern bluebird. © Gary Carter/Getty
Eastern bluebird. © Gary Carter/Getty
An emperor dragonfly. © Anne Richardson/500px/Getty
An emperor dragonfly. © Anne Richardson/500px/Getty
Blue-girdled angelfish, also known as majestic angelfish, swimming past soft corals in Komodo National Park, Indonesia. © Georgette Douwma/Getty
Blue-girdled angelfish, also known as majestic angelfish, swimming past soft corals in Komodo National Park, Indonesia. © Georgette Douwma/Getty
Normally brown in colour, male sinai agama lizards turn blue in the mating season to attract females. © Grandbrothers/Getty
Normally brown in colour, male sinai agama lizards turn blue in the mating season to attract females. © Grandbrothers/Getty

Authors

Megan ShersbyNaturalist, writer and content creator
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