Feeling sad? Local experts say Blue Monday is a good time to check in with yourself, others

While some Windsor residents are feeling more down this Blue Monday with the pandemic and stay-at-home order, the one thing keeping them happy is getting outdoors and going for a stroll.

"I usuallycome [to the Riverfront]with my wife, my childrenfor a walk.I find it relaxing to do some exercise. That's what you can do in this situation," said Windsor resident Alex Kolnikaj.

The third Monday in January is often referred to as Blue Monday orthe saddest day of the year. The post-holiday slump and bad weather are said to give the day its title, though there's no scientific proof to suggest it's real.

But this year, theday comes at the height of provincialCOVID-19 restrictions and after Windsor-Essex has been inlockdownfor a little more than a month.

During that time, a long list of rules have been put in place including closing non-essential stores to in-person shopping, restricting gatherings to those living in the same household and having people stay home as much as possible.

Beth Ternovan,manager of counselling programs and the employee assistance program at Family Services Windsor-Essex, said the day should be a reminder for people to check in on their mood.

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"Blue Monday is a day that can act as a signal, that any day of the year is the day to reach out to get the help that you need. If your intuition is telling you, you know I've been feeling down for quite some time ... let Blue Monday be a representative signal of the fact that any day is the day to get help," she said.

Ternovan added that reaching out for help and leaning on othersis one way to find support, but another coping mechanism can be going for walks.

"Exercise is what we call behavioural activation,even walking for 20 minutes, let alone 30minutes ... it changes our outlook and when we change our outlook, it changes our mood," Ternovan said.

CBC News spoke with four other Windsoriteson Monday who all said the same thing as Kolnikaj: physical exercise makes them feel better.

But often times it's not that simple.

WATCH: CBC News spoke with locals aboutBlue Monday

Windsorites talk about how they're feeling on Blue Monday

4 years ago

Duration 1:02

Locals say going for a walk helps change their mood

'Vital' to stay connected with others right now

In addition to positive coping mechanisms,Canadian Mental Health Association counsellor Allison Chandler, who specificallyprovides workplace outreach support to front-line workers across different sectors in the region, said its important people continue to stay connected.

"One of the things that I'm noticing is that people really arestruggling," she said. "What I'm seeing is alot of the people coming forward for help tend to be people who have struggled with mental illness in thepast and those struggles are exacerbated by the pandemic."

A quick phone call, video chat or text message are the best ways to connect and are "vital" given the times we're living through, Chandler said.

"It helps to reduce the feelingsof isolation right now obviously with restrictions that have been put in place," she said.

Isolation, Chandler said, can increase a person's chances of developing a mental illness and enhance cognitive impairments in elderly people.

"People tend to practice more negative coping strategies when they're isolated so things like turning to substance use or addiction," she said. "When we're isolated, it's really easy to kind of ruminate on any negative thoughts or feelings that we're having ... people process thought and process feelings by talking."

And if the person doesn't feel as though they have asupport system in place, Chandler said writing in a journal can also help the brain process emotions.

LISTEN: Counsellor Allison Chandler talks about Blue Monday

Who you can reach out to

But there are also many local support services to reach out to.

According to Ternovan, Family Services Windsor-Essex offers a limited amount of free counselling that people can access by calling (519) 966-5010 and asking for customer care.

She said there's also the Crisis and Mental Wellness Centre offered by Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare at (519) 973-4435.

You can call the Canadian Mental Health Association's Windsor-Essex crisis line free of cost at(519) 973- 4435. Even if you are not in crisis, you can still call this number and be transferred.