We ask Londoners what they do on Blue Monday to cheer themselves up.
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00:00Blue Monday is here and it's known for being the most gloomy day of the year, with post-holiday
00:06blues in full swing and when the weather is like it is today in London, it can be easy
00:12to see why. But Londoners know how to fight back against the winter slump, whether it's
00:18indulging in comfort food at a local cafe, exploring an art gallery or getting outside
00:23for a brisk walk, there are plenty of ways to lift your spirits, to find out how locals
00:29are tackling the January blues, I spoke to a few Londoners about their top feel-good
00:34activities in the capital.
00:38I love going to the cinema. I think I quite often go to Peckham Plex in Peckham and just
00:46take myself and go and watch a film.
00:49That's great. And London's actually, it's got so many good cinemas, doesn't it actually?
00:54Do you think it's a good cinema city?
00:56Great cinema city. I mean, you've got a few sort of more independent ones, which I love,
01:02like Peckham Plex is one of the cheapest cinemas in London and my favourite, but then you've
01:07got like the everyman ones and the picture house sort of chains, but they're also quite
01:13good.
01:14Yeah, I think luckily there's so much to do in London. So for me personally, like, because
01:18I don't work Mondays, which is great. So I go into London, I will kind of go to any museum
01:22or exhibition that's on. I kind of like think that there's lots of art that you can see
01:26in London, which is pretty cool. So I feel like being part of the cultural side of London
01:30is like a really great thing to be a part of.
01:33I mean, London's got a lot of activities around. You can go shopping. That's what I'm doing
01:38today. Go into a cafe, get a haircut.
01:40I've just been out for lunch with a friend. That was fun. Or go for a walk in the park,
01:46anything like that.
01:47Do you think London's a good city? Do you think it's filled with kind of different activities
01:49that you could do?
01:50Yeah, yeah. I mean, this is where I was born and bred. So you can do anything. You can
01:55go get out into the country life and go out for dinner, go for a walk across London. It's
02:03lovely. Lots of history and things like that.
02:06Have you kind of thought about Blue Monday, like checking in with people? Is that something
02:09that you've thought about?
02:10Yeah, yeah. I've got a few friends that I'd check in on. They could check in on me. So
02:15especially this time of year, it's just good to ask how people are doing.
02:19Blue Monday is an annual day that is regarded the most difficult day of the year. Although
02:23most of us are aware, it can be a difficult day for anyone, not just on a Monday. However,
02:30this is a great time to remind ourselves and the people in our lives to acknowledge and
02:35address feelings of depression and low mood. So reach out, connect with family, friends,
02:41not just yourself, but to check that they are not struggling silently.
02:45The Samaritans celebrate Blue Monday on January the 15th. This is to encourage people to invite
02:51their friends round for a cup of tea to check in on each other in a non-judgmental mood.