Happiness guru backs 'dark day' rebellion

A happiness guru who was hired to identify the 'most depressing day of the year' has asked the public not to allow Blue Monday to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Cliff Arnall said that Britons should "refute the whole notion" that the third Monday in January is a dark day, telling the nation to be cheerful instead.

Mr Arnall, of Brecon, Wales, was approached by a public relations firm to identify the date in 2005 and used a formula involving the weather, debt, motivational levels and time elapsed since Christmas to pinpoint Britain at its most miserable.

He has now admitted that the notion has become "a self-fulfilling prophecy", adding that Monday, January 18 should instead be used to gain perspective about our lives.

"I'm pleased about the impact if it means people are talking about depression and how they feel but I'm also encouraging people to refute the whole notion of there being a most depressing day and to use the day as a springboard for the things that really matter in your life," he said.