Blue Monday (Seasonal Affective Disorder)
Lesson plan overview
This ESL lesson explores Blue Monday, often referred to as “the saddest day of the year,” and the broader topic of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Students will discuss their moods in January and throughout the winter months, expand their vocabulary to talk about emotions, and watch a video related to Blue Monday.
Other lessons you might like: “Time to take a mental health day?”, “Motivation”, “New Year’s Resolutions”, “Phrasal Verbs: Mental Health”, and “Phrasal Verbs: Psychology”.
Speaking: The lesson begins with a discussion about Mondays and why many people find them challenging.
Vocabulary: Students learn key expressions related to mood, such as stuck in a rut, gloomy, feeling down, feeling blue, dull, and financial strain. They match words to their definitions, complete a gap-fill activity, and discuss conversation questions to reinforce their understanding.
Reading: Students read about Blue Monday and complete a comprehension exercise. This is followed by a discussion on topics such as motivation, financial stress, winter weather, and New Year’s Resolutions.
More Vocabulary: Before watching the video, students learn mood-related adjectives (hopeless, disconnected, shut out, apathetic, lethargic). They practice using these words by completing 7 short dialogues.
Listening: Students watch a video titled “Breaking the Blue Monday Blues”, where they fill in missing words in their notes. Afterwards, they take part in a post-listening discussion.
For additional speaking practice and vocabulary review, students can use the printable conversation cards.
This lesson is ideal for upper-intermediate to advanced ESL learners interested in discussing mental health, emotions, and seasonal mood changes.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
Pre-class activities
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In-class activities
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Additional resources
Each video-based lesson plan includes links to additional resources (videos and articles), which are FREE can be found online (in the pre-class activities page. These links aim to extend the learning experience, enabling students to connect classroom knowledge with real-world applications.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
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