Blue Monday is purported to be the most challenging day of the year for one’s mental health and wellbeing – but is that actually the case? Here’s our take.

The history behind Blue Monday is not etched in stone. Blue Monday is traditionally the 3rd Monday in January and signifies a day that – based on its time of year with short days and cold weather – has traditionally been a challenge to people’s inner drags and challenges. A positive spin on this day is to make it a time to focus and to take some time to pay attention to our own personal mental health. Some say it came from a UK marketing agency some say it came from Hallmark, but wherever it comes from there’s no denying that we all face our own Blue Monday (or even Tuesday, or Wednesday) every now and then and that we had best prepare for and deal with it.

One thing we cannabis users should note is that the strain of flower that you consume has a direct effect on your mood, and keeping spirits high is the name of the game. In short, Indica dominant strains tend to make you more introspective and slow you down, while Sativa dominant strains tend you energize you and help one engage with tasks and challenges. With that in mind, here’s a shortlist of our favorite get-up-and-go Sativa products, in stock now:

• Nice Guys Premium Sungrown – Jelly Rancher

• Nice Guys Delivery: Dream Queen- Sativa 1g Pre-roll

• Aunt Zelda’s: Daytime Infusion

• Surplus: Purified Live Resin Jamaican Dream

Another problem that is necessary to deal with during some harsh mid-winter blues is pain management. It’s hard to stay in a good mood when you’re hurting. Fortunately, there are many cannabis products available that deal directly with alleviating and managing pain. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Aunt Zelda’s: “Weed The People” 1:1 Infused Olive Oil

• Care By Design: 18:1 Vape cartridge – Care By Design

• Care By Design: Effects drops- Relief

• CANN SOCIAL TONIC: Cranberry Sage Bottle

• Cosmic View: Deep Down – Athletic Formula

Finally, maintaining a buoyant mood when it’s cold and dreary can be a challenge. For some people, it’s just natural to slow down and stay inside because of the weather and the limited number of daylight hours. Getting outside and moving your body can help get your metabolism moving in the right direction. Another angle to potentially put a pep in your step is to challenge yourself with intellectual puzzles and games. But one of the most tried and true ways we know of to put an instant smile on just about anyone’s face is the notion of something sweet. We’ve got you covered with a myriad of cannabis-infused sweets and drinks.

• Big Pete’s: Chocolate Chip 10 Pack Sativa

• Garcia Hand Picked: Mixed Berry Gummies

• Emerald Sky: Peanut Butter Cups – Sativa 20 pack

• Wunder Sessions: Blood Orange Bitters

• CANN SOCIAL TONIC: Cranberry Sage Bottle

As with anything that’s good in life all of the above need to be thoughtfully moderated for optimum effect. We wouldn’t want to tell you to go consume everything we’ve listed here all at once, because too much of anything is just too much! But we hope that we’ve given you pause for thought and perhaps planted a few seeds about taking care of your own mental health during the doldrums of winter.

Feeling blue yourself? Nothing cheers us up more than reaching out to a friend if the blues take hold. Call your family and friends and make sure they’re all right. You’ll feel better, and you never know who’s day you’re going to make.

Now get out there and kick Blue Monday’s ass!