Key Takeaways
- Create your gift message free at giftstory.ai. If you choose to send it as a Gift Story, a verified tree is planted in the recipient’s name in Tanzania.
- Each ForestNation tree absorbs a field-measured 0.025 tonnes of CO2 per year. The gift keeps growing long after the occasion.
- Corporate campaigns at forestnation.com/corporate-gift-a-forest
When Is Blue Monday 2026?
Blue Monday 2026 falls on January 19 — the third Monday of January, widely considered the most psychologically difficult day of the year. The combination of post-holiday return, cold and dark weather in the Northern Hemisphere, failed New Year resolutions, and the distance to the next pay day creates a concentrated low point that many people feel acutely, even if they would not normally identify it as such.
What Is Blue Monday?
Blue Monday was first named by psychologist Cliff Arnall in 2005. While the specific formula he used to calculate “the most depressing day” has been widely criticised as pseudo-science, the underlying observation — that the third Monday of January is a genuine low point for many people — has proven resonant enough to stick. Mental health charities now use the day as a prompt for conversations about wellbeing, connection, and the kinds of support that actually help.
The research on what helps people through low-mood periods is consistent: connection matters more than most other interventions. Being thought of. Being reached out to. Receiving something unexpected from someone who was not required to send it. Blue Monday is the day when an unexpected act of kindness lands with more force than on any other day of the year.
What to Send on Blue Monday
1. A ForestNation Gift Story — the unexpected gift that keeps growing
A tree planted in someone’s name in Tanzania, with a personal message from you, delivered on the third Monday of January. No occasion required. No reason needed. Just: I thought of you today, and I wanted you to know that. Something is growing because of it. Create your message free at giftstory.ai. The tree absorbs a field-measured 0.025 tonnes of CO2 per year and keeps growing long after January has passed.
2. A specific, personal message to someone you have been meaning to reach out to
Blue Monday is the right day to send the message you have been meaning to send for months. The friend you lost touch with. The colleague who had a hard year. The family member you know is struggling. A genuine message that says “I thought of you today” costs nothing and creates a moment of connection that neither person forgets. The research from the Harvard Study of Adult Development is unambiguous: the quality of our relationships is the single strongest predictor of wellbeing. Blue Monday is a reminder to invest in that.
3. A care package for a friend or colleague
A small, thoughtfully chosen set of items sent by post — good tea or coffee, something to read, something that acknowledges the specific person’s preferences — paired with a note that says you thought of them. The thoughtfulness of the selection is the gift. The item itself is secondary.
4. Planting a tree for someone who needs a reason to feel hopeful
A tree growing in someone’s name is, in its quiet way, a reason to feel hopeful. Something is growing. Something lasts. Something good is happening in the world because of you. On the third Monday of January, when the world feels heavy, that message carries weight. giftstory.ai lets you deliver it in two minutes, free to create.
Blue Monday for Companies and HR Teams
Forward-thinking HR teams and people managers use Blue Monday as a prompt to check in with their teams. Not a formal wellbeing survey. A personal message to each direct report that says: how are you actually doing? What do you need this month? Is there anything I can make easier?
Paired with a Gift Story campaign that delivers a tree to every team member on Blue Monday morning, this check-in becomes a company-wide statement: we know this time of year is hard, and we wanted you to know we are thinking about you specifically. Corporate campaigns at forestnation.com/corporate-gift-a-forest.
FAQs: Blue Monday
When is Blue Monday 2026?
Blue Monday 2026 is January 19 — the third Monday of January. It falls annually on the third Monday of January.
What is a good Blue Monday gift?
The best Blue Monday gift is unexpected and personal. A ForestNation Gift Story — a message from you and a tree growing in the recipient’s name in Tanzania — arrives on January 19 with no occasion required. It says: I thought of you today. That is everything Blue Monday needs. Create free at giftstory.ai.
Does Blue Monday have scientific basis?
The specific formula used to calculate Blue Monday has been widely criticised as pseudo-science. However, the observation that the third Monday of January is a genuine low point for many people — due to post-holiday return, cold weather, failed resolutions, and financial pressure — resonates with enough people that the day has become a genuine prompt for conversations about wellbeing and connection.
