Conor here: It often feels like social policy in neoliberal society is intended to produce sadness that can be capitalized on. The following piece from The Conversation provides an example with consumeristic solutions that continue to be focused on the individual rather than societal. I recall a paper last year, Social Determinants of Mental Health: Challenges and Interventions<\/a>, by Mary Christine Wheatley that succinctly argued why this individualistic approach is so inadequate. From a Mad in America<\/a> write up:<\/p>\n Dominant approaches to mental health have focused on the individual\u2014framing distress as a result of biology, willpower, or personal coping failures. The field has made only limited forays into understanding the social conditions that shape mental well-being, typically in ways that reinforce societal norms and emphasize reintegrating individuals into the very structures that may be harming them. By Paola Alexandria Pinto de Magalh\u00e3es<\/a>, Investigador, Facultad de Enfermer\u00eda, Desarrollo Positivo de Ni\u00f1os y Adolescentes, Universidad de Navarra; Maider Belintxon Mart\u00edn<\/a>, Profesora de la Facultad de Enfermer\u00eda. Directora del Departamento de Enfermer\u00eda Comunitaria y Materno Infantil, \u00c1rea de conocimiento: materno-infantil, Universidad de Navarra; and Pablo Tabuenca Agramonte<\/a>, Doctorando, Atenci\u00f3n de enfermer\u00eda en la infancia y adolescencia, Universidad de Navarra. Originally published at The Conversation<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n January can feel exhausting. With the magic of Christmas and New Year fading fast, returning to routine brings with it an undeniable emotional slump. But is it really the saddest month?<\/p>\n The idea of \u201cBlue Monday\u201d caught on in 2005, when British psychologist Cliff Arnall<\/a> announced that he had identified the saddest day of the year using a mathematical formula that factored in climate, post-holiday debt, and dwindling motivation in keeping up with New Year\u2019s resolutions.<\/p>\n The scientific community quickly (and correctly) dismissed the idea as psuedoscience<\/a> \u2013 far from a psychological finding, Arnall\u2019s formula was revealed to be a marketing ploy designed for a travel agency. The agency\u2019s proposed cure for the winter blues was, naturally, to purchase a holiday.<\/p>\n You Can\u2019t Schedule Sadness<\/b><\/p>\n The term Blue Monday continues to appear each January in the media and in ad campaigns, despite a total lack of evidence that one specific day on the calendar is linked to an overall peak in unhappiness.<\/p>\n Sadness is a complex human response<\/a>, not a programmed event. While winter weather can certainly affect your mood<\/a>, there are commercial interests surrounding the concept of sadness, which seek to influence behaviour by encouraging people to consume objects or experiences.<\/p>\n Indeed, some brands have made sadness into a profitable resource<\/a>, presenting products or experiences as solutions to the same unhappiness they perpetuate. They use the idea of the \u201csaddest day of the year\u201d to influence consumption patterns, leveraging the \u201cmisery is not miserly\u201d<\/a> effect which links low emotional states to increased spending.<\/p>\n This kind of marketing can also influence the emotional dynamics of many households<\/a>. It creates expectations that are difficult to fulfil, encourages materialism, and creates tensions between adults and children. This all feeds into broader feelings of unhappiness<\/a>.<\/p>\n But there is further risk when these messages reach children directly<\/a>. When young people are told that \u201cnegative\u201d emotions can be combatted through shopping or digital, artificial distractions, it weakens their ability to recognise, understand and manage what they feel. This makes it vital that we factor media discourse into children\u2019s emotional education.<\/p>\n Sadness and the Developing Mind<\/b><\/p>\n Far from an obstacle to be overcome, sadness plays a fundamental role in children\u2019s development. At a very early age, they learn that expressing sadness can gain them the support of parents and carers, and that in most cases, it is much more effective<\/a> than other emotions in getting attention and solace.<\/p>\n Furthermore, sadness helps to readjust goals<\/a> after a failure, allowing children to modify their approaches<\/a> and expectations in the face of adverse situations. It also drives introspection processes that allow children to reflect on what they feel, their values, and how they relate to others. Experiencing sadness<\/a> therefore contributes to moral growth<\/a>.<\/p>\n Emotions linked to loss, disappointment and injustice help children to build their sense of right and wrong, develop sensitivity to the suffering of others, and strengthen their empathy. In fact, recent studies<\/a> have found that experiencing sadness is linked to an increased ability to put oneself in another\u2019s shoes.<\/p>\n Adult Responses to Sadness<\/b><\/p>\n The way adults respond to sadness<\/a> has a decisive impact on how children learn to manage it. A warm, sensitive and caring family environment benefits emotional development<\/a>, while tense, cold and critical interactions hinder it. Family dynamics<\/a> \u2013 the emotional models that determine the quality of conversations and availability of support \u2013 are what shape the way a child interprets and expresses<\/a> sadness.<\/p>\n School and social environments<\/a> are also key. Children who feel supported not only experience sadness less intensely, but also develop greater confidence to cope with it.<\/p>\n Guiding children in recognising and managing sadness is a way to help them develop resilience. When they learn strategies for coping with difficult emotions<\/a> \u2014 talking, asking for help, putting their feelings into words, identifying what they need \u2014 they acquire internal resources that enable them to face future challenges. This resilience translates into stronger self-esteem and a more realistic and confident perception of their own abilities.<\/p>\n Cultural values and beliefs<\/a> also play a part in determining which expressions of sadness are accepted, considered appropriate, or suppressed. This means the expression and regulation of sadness vary significantly between cultural<\/a> and social environments. Understanding these differences allows us to better support children\u2019s emotional processes, and avoid misinterpreting their behaviour.<\/p>\n When faced with commercial messages like those surrounding Blue Monday, adults must recognise that this emotion is a natural part of growing up \u2013 not just one day of the year \u2013 and offer children spaces where they can feel heard, supported and understood.<\/p>\n\n
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