Blue Monday may well be little more than a marketing ruse dreamed up by the now defunct Sky Travel Agency to sell holidays, remember those. Yet it was nonetheless based on the belief that January, with its dark days and post-Christmas credit card bills can be a challenging month when it comes to consumers’ mental health. Add to this the challenge of a third lockdown and the ongoing emotional and economic fall out from the coronavirus crisis and the concept of Blue Monday must be viewed through a whole new lens. 

To collectively lift the spirits, She Says is launching an entirely free event tonight, Monday 18th January, designed to enable the creative community to come together for conversation. 

The SheSays ‘Blue Monday - Lighten The Load’ campaign aims to create a supportive and non-judgemental online space. The space, which will be hosted by video-chat app and platform Gather, is entirely free and everyone is invited. 

There will be virtual rooms for attendees to discuss everything from finances or parenting. From a ‘Positive Vibes Only’ room to the ‘Whinge Forest’, the spaces will be inclusive and honest. 

Joyce Kremer, UK President of SheSays, explained: “With people more isolated from each other, mental health has become more important than ever before. We think it’s important our community has a safe and non-judgemental space to chat and share how they’re feeling. That’s why SheSays reached out to Gather.town, a really exciting new company who are creating virtual spaces to socialise more effectively online. It’s kind of like The Sims meets the pub but with fewer people spilling their beer over you and we think it could really help people feel more connected at a time where they really need it.” 

The SheSays virtual space on Gather.town will be open to the SheSays community, but also to anyone of any gender, who may feel in need of good conversation and a supportive, non-judgmental environment. Virtual doors will open at 18.00 GMT on Monday 18th January. Tickets are free and available through Eventbrite