Blue Monday

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Jessie: In New Hampshire, where the leaves are turning and woodsmoke curls from the village chimneys.

When I was researching an early idea for a novel I found myself researching regional candy. In the course of my perusal, I ran across a candy bar from Kentucky named Blue Monday and became enchanted by the idea of them. With their silver wrapper and vintage lettering they seemed just the sort of thing to bring a bit of brightness to even the bleakest of Mondays.

I have to confess, I’ve needed a bit of cheering up in the last couple of Mondays. There has been a crisis brewing with a loved one, like so many others, my mother was in the path of Milton, and I finally, for the very first time, am down with Covid. My list of grumps could go on and on if I let it, but I really am not that sort. I am much more interested in seeking out pleasant distractions and things that buck me up.

So, here is a list of things I turn to in times like these:

  • Drinking a great cup of coffee
  • Walking along the beach
  • Listening to a new podcast
  • Re-reading a favorite novel
  • Lounging with my dog, Sam
  • Working on a knitting project
  • Puttering about in my garden
  • Enjoying a meal with my family
  • Looking through a photo album
  • Peering through my kaleidoscope

I am hopeful that even if it takes every item on the list that things will be looking up by next Monday!

Readers, what do you do to combat a Blue Monday?

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Published by Jessie Crockett

Jessie Crockett wears a lot of hats, both literally and literarily. As Jessie Crockett she is the Daphne Award winning author of Live Free or Die and the nationally bestselling Sugar Grove series. As Jessica Ellicott she has received starred reivews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal for her historical mystery Murder in an English Village. As Jessica Estevao she writes the Agatha Award nominated Change of Fortune Mysteries. She loves the beach, fountain pens, Mini Coopers and throwing parties. She lives in northern New England where she obsessively knits wool socks and enthusiastically speaks Portuguese with a shocking disregard for the rules of grammar.

32 Thoughts

  1. I hope things are looking up on all fronts, Jessie! It’s amazing you avoided COVID for so long.

    If I’m having a Blue Monday, I like to do many of the things you do (except for walking a dog – I’ll snuggle with my cat, instead), plus immerse myself in whichever book I’m writing. Losing myself in a fictional world of my own making is quite a comfort.

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  2. Four of my top go to things to find the Blue Mondays are:
    Grab my camera and head to the front porch to photograph our many daily critter visitors or just to enjoy the sounds of morning coming to life in the trees.
    Read that book on top of my TBR list that I’ve been dying to read, but life’s been hectic enough to keep me from it.
    Head to the kitchen. There’s nothing like working yeast dough to make cinnamon rolls or some other dish to keep the hands and mind busy off is making this Monday so blue. Then there’s getting to visit and share to bounty of the kitchen with great friends because there’s no way just the two of us could eat it all.
    And now, I can add to my list (because we recently added two new family members to our family unit – 2 chihuahuas named Snoopy and Mickey Mouse) – have some play time enjoying their playful antics and doggie kisses. After all, that in itself if bound to make one forget one’s troubles and smile.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    1. The blues are tough, Jessie! Hope you feel better soon. When I’m down, I’ll snuggle with kitty cat Maria or put on happy music. Jimmy Buffett and Michael Franti & Spearhead are my go-to artists.

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  3. Sorry to hear you’re not well! When I’m feeling low, a good walk or walking video gets me feeling stronger. I’ll cook, or bake something yummy, read, or just zone out to a movie – especially old favorites. This time of year, the Rocky Horror Picture Show will be on. Hope you’re back to 100% soon!

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  4. I hope you feel better soon, Jessie.

    Since I still work, well, I don’t have time to sulk on a Blue Monday. There are always things to be done. But if I could, I’d wrap myself in a blankie and read – with a cup of hot tea, of course.

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  5. Sorry to hear you are down. When that happens to me, I usually head for the kitchen and start cooking or baking. Some lively music and a good book to read or movie to watch while there are still lovely aromas floating about the house. Otherwise, head outside and to for a walk or hike. Hope you feel better soon!

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  6. Jessie, I’m sorry to hear you’re not feeling well and hope you’re better soon. Also, I hope your mom and her property are safe. If my parents were still alive they would also have been in Milton’s path. My Blue Monday cures would include a cup of tea, some dark chocolate, and perhaps a brisk walk on the nearby bike trail.

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  7. Oh, Jessie, what a one-two punch! I hope your mother did well in Milton – after 40 years in Florida I know no one in the path of a hurricane manages to be 100% unscathed. I’m sorry you are down with Covid. I’ve managed to avoid it so far, but lately I’m hearing of a lot of first-time cases.

    How do I cope with a blue Monday? Depends. If it’s generalized funk and the season agrees, I go for a run or a hike in the woods. If the season doesn’t agree, I curl up in my recliner with a book, hot cocoa, and an afghan. That brings on the cats and we celebrate with a major cuddle. If it’s a health funk, well, into bed with tea, soup, and a streaming service. Somedays, that’s the only cure.

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  8. I recently read an article about finding the “awe” in little things. I think that’s what you always do, Jessie. It’s one of the many reasons I love and admire you. I hope you feel better soon.

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  9. I sure hope you’re starting to feel better and that your mom is safe and well. It must be a worry for you not being there to help her.

    Blue Mondays – ugh. I fix my coffee, grab a good book, cuddle with my cats and nap. Normally stay in my pj’s all day and binge on Hallmark or Great American Family feel good movies. Now that it’s cooling down I can go out in our enclosed courtyard and watch the hummingbirds. They are so active right now. And no housework, dishes, etc. If I’m up to it a long warm bath soothes the soul.

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      1. Despite the heat I live Arizona. We have hummingbirds at our feeders all year. Big uptick recently. We think some are migrating southerly.

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  10. Hope you get over COVID quickly and hope the rest of your life improves as well.

    A co-worker identified an issue we were having with one of my account recs. That definitely brightened up my Monday.

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  11. Jessie,
    I hear you. When I’m blue, I facetime my kids and grandkids, listen to podcasts/interviews with writers (I just listened to Michael Connelly and Lee Child chatting about short stories vs novels), watch BBC mysteries, and reread Maigret and Vera and Morse.
    Hang in there….
    Paula Munier

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  12. I hope you feel better soon and that the rest of your life settles down as well.

    Of your list, rereading a favorite book really struck me. Prior to the pandemic I never reread. My attitude was that life was too short and there were too many books. But during the pandemic rereading became my self-soothing behavior and it continues to this day. I have started to reread a lot of books, especially those where I remember, “I loved this,” but I don’t remember much else.

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  13. So sorry you’re feeling blue, worrying about your mother, AND fighting covid. Your comfort list makes a lot of sense to me. I also re-read old favorites–it’s spending time with beloved friends, isn’t it? I enjoy a good cup of coffee, too, but to really cheer myself up, I turn to black tea with lemon and sugar, and since I don’t have a garden, I have to deadhead flowers and weed plants on my balcony. No beach in Switzerland, so I walk along Bern’s river, the Aare, listening to a new Slough House book! But it all works, at least short term. Thank goodness we all have ways of helping ourselves feel better.

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  14. So sorry you are feeling down. When that happens to me, and the political climate has really gotten me depressed, I stay away from anything negative as much as possible. I only scan the headlines enough to have a general sense of what is happening in the world. Then I focus on positive things like a cozy mystery by a favorite author, being comfy on my sofa with the massage pad on high, and cuddling with my kitty. If the WX permits, I work in my yard. I try to stay as distracted as possible.

    Best of luck pulling through the super blahs. It can be very tough.

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