Students and staff highlight the importance of community on Blue Monday

The Students’ Association offered motivational quotes and the AC Hub hosted a movie night, marking the start of mental health awareness week
Photo: Kendra Mendrisky
Members of the Students' Association, Cianah Miller (left) and Kate Ardidon (right), talk to students about the events taking place during the week.

Algonquin College students found comfort reading written encouragements and watching Mamma Mia in the Student Commons on Blue Monday, known as the most depressing day of the year.

The Students Association has a table set up from Jan. 20 to Jan. 24 in E-building for their take what you need initiative, along with information about other free events being offered throughout the week.

A student reaches into the mindful exercise box Monday afternoon.
A student reaches into the mindful exercise box Monday afternoon. Photo credit: Kendra Mendrisky

“We have different boxes set up for people to take words of affirmation, and they’ve been loving it,” said Cianah Miller, a brand ambassador for the Students’ Association.

The boxes hold little slips of paper with motivational quotes, journal prompts, affirmations and mindful exercises, and will be available for students to take all day from Monday to Friday.

Miller recently picked up journaling, which helps her deal with the winter blues.

Others beat the blues by escaping to Greece and taking in the tunes of Swedish sensation, ABBA.

“I’ve seen it many times before, but I just love the storyline, the music, the characters, just brings the movie all together,” said Lukas Auer, a student in the broadcasting – radio and podcasting program at Algonquin College.

Samantha Therrien, the events programmer at the AC Hub, picked Mamma Mia because it is “fun, good vibes and lighthearted.”

About 40 students attended the AC Hub’s third annual Blue Monday movie night, which took place between 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Students enjoyed chips and juice boxes and picked a pair of colourful plastic sunglasses, which some wore during the movie.

Students line up for snacks ten minutes before the movie.
Students line up for snacks ten minutes before the movie. Photo credit: Kendra Mendrisky

Therrien was happily surprised by the turnout.

“It’s really kind of a dark day for a lot of people,” she said. “After the holidays, a lot of students are stressed, getting back to their routines, school’s picking up again.”

In Canada, Blue Monday is also associated with long, cold nights and failed new year’s resolutions, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Therrien hopes the movie night helped students relax and feel supported by the school community.

Algonquin College Student Services shared some strategies to support mental well-being on their Instagram page, including acknowledging emotions, limiting stressors, taking time for moments of relaxation and reaching out for support when needed.

Auer wants to be known as a person who puts others before himself.

“Community is such a big thing in this world, and I feel like we need each other,” said Auer. “We should always just be there for each other because it’s always something to consider. That’s what school’s about, too, is a community.”

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