The Most Depressing Time of the Year
We’ve all had the winter blues and nobody is particularly excited about Mondays… But did you know there’s a day known as Blue Monday, aka the saddest day of the year?
Suddenly everything makes a lot more sense. While SAD season affects some of us, I know that many feel particularly down after the holidays, with little to look forward to. But here at Sakeenah, we love embracing the blue – so here are some tips to help you beat the Monday blues!
Monday marks the beginning of the work week and usually has negative connotations here in the West (I’m sure we’ve all rolled our eyes after a colleague said “Happy Monday”)… but we often forget that Monday is a blessed day in Islam.
The Prophet PBUH said, “Deeds are shown (to Allah) on Mondays and Thursdays, and I like my deeds to be shown when I am fasting.” - al-Tirmidhi, 747
The Prophet PBUH loved to fast on Mondays, and there could truly be no better way to start the week. Especially with the short days and Ramadan right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to take advantage of the short winter days and make up your fasts – even 'Amir ibn Mas'ud reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Fasting in the winter is the easy reward.” (Tirmidhi 797)
Another way to start your week is to pay it forward and brighten up someone else's Monday! I’m not sure about you, but as an avid coffee lover, sometimes my Monday morning latte is the only motivating factor I have after the weekend. Paying it forward by grabbing a coffee for someone else is a surefire way to brighten someone’s Monday – and make your own coffee that much sweeter!
If all else fails, make a little Monday tradition for yourself this year! With all the stresses that come with adulting, one of the things I love about it is being able to make up my own traditions. Whether that’s adding some barakah to your week by donating to your favorite organization (you can also automate your donations weekly!) or taking some time out each week for some self-care, you don’t have to limit all the fun things to the weekend. Grab yourself a little treat, have a weekly catch-up with a friend, or put on a face mask and relax – all the activities that fill up your cup so there’s no room left for the Monday blues.
We hope these tips helped take some blue out of your day! We’d love to hear, what’s your weekly Monday Tradition for 2024?
Written by Hira Irfan - Marketing Coordinator at Sakeenah Canada. I love anything creative and using that creativity to serve my community. I’m a proud cat mom of two!
About Sakeenah
Sakeenah Canada, a national charitable organization, was founded in 2018 in response to a gap in culturally and religiously sensitive services available for women and children facing domestic violence and homelessness. Since then, our services have expanded to include mental health therapy and counseling. Sakeenah has also started The People’s Market, a food program that helps combat food insecurity, and has become the first licensed foster care agency for Muslim children in all of North America. We currently operate 8 transitional homes across Canada: Toronto, Brampton, Milton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Regina, in addition to the first long-term housing program for Muslim women and children in Canada, in Windsor.
