The forecast for Metro Vancouver on Blue Monday – the so-called most depressing day of the year – was pretty bleak.
A dense fog blanketed B.C.'s South Coast early Monday morning, prompting an Environment Canada advisory for Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, eastern Vancouver Island and the Southern Gulf Islands.
The advisory, which warned of near-zero visibility, was lifted shortly before 9 a.m. Final remnants of the fog were expected to dissipate during the morning.
While those in Metro Vancouver were expected to see some breaks in the clouds during the afternoon, Environment Canada forecast periods of rain beginning during the 9 p.m. hour. Monday morning's forecast predicted that the rain would last at least until Sunday.
The wet weather is not unusual for this time of year, but may not be welcome news for those already feeling blue.
Jan. 15 is Blue Monday, a term first coined in 2005 by a U.K. travel channel in effort to sell vacations to sunny destinations, and since picked up by other advertisers.
The date is said to be an estimate of when the combination of dreary weather, failed resolutions and holiday debt start to weigh on the public, and is often the third Monday in January.
A study released Monday suggested B.C. residents are growing increasingly concerned about their ability to repay debts.
The quarterly survey conducted by Ipsos and commissioned by debt solutions group MNP Ltd., found nearly half of British Columbians thought they'd have to go further into debt to cover their expenses in 2018.
One quarter of those polled said they're unable to cover their monthly bills and debt repayments, and those who are making ends meet said they're saving less. Forty per cent said they were within $200 of not being able to keep up with expenses.
The survey was conducted online in December and had 2,001 respondents across Canada. The nation-wide results (see infographic below for results) are considered accurate within +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, but MNP did not provide specific numbers for B.C.
There is no scientific basis for Blue Monday, but experts say many feel a lack of energy and concentration and start gaining weight this time of year, especially those who have seasonal affective disorder, depression or other illness.
The Toronto-based Centre for Addiction and Mental Health said in a statement that the day can become a "self-fulfilling prophesy."
"If people feel they have already failed to live up to their resolutions, this self-imposed anxiety, coupled with the belief in Blue Monday, could be the perfect storm for triggering those predisposed to depression," psychologist Donna Ferguson said in a statement last year.
CAMH doctors recommend those feeling blue take an inventory of their habits, such as sleep, diet and activity level, to see what simple changes can improve their mental health.
For those concerned with debt, MNP recommends budgeting for holiday celebrations and gifts in advance. Avoid impulse spending sprees, stick to a list, keep a journal of expenses and get into the habit of setting aside savings before spending on anything non-essential.
