Blue Monday typically takes place on the third Monday in January and is considered to be the most depressing day of the year. The Christmas decorations have been taken down, all the leftovers are finished, your bank account has been emptied, and the perpetual rain can make you feel rather grey and gloomy.
However, here at Overclockers UK, we’ve come up with some great ways for you to stave off the blues, brighten up your set up, and feel wholesome again!
Fight Off Your SAD with RGB
SAD stands for seasonal affective disorder. It is a form of depression that has a seasonal pattern, usually occurring during the dark winter months. However, you can brighten up your space by adding a splash of colour by opting for PC hardware that is packed full of RGB lighting.
How does RGB lighting help my mood?
Adding RGB lighting can help to create a comforting gaming sanctuary.
Instead of sitting in the dark after a hard day, you can escape into your favourite gaming worlds in a cosy space that is illuminated with your favourite colour. As you play games, watch movies, or chill out to lo-fi tracks, you can enjoy the beautiful display of colours and lighting effects as you wash away those negative feelings.
Our Favourite RGB Products:
Utilising PC cases with integrated RGB lighting, such as the Kolink Void Mid Tower, or LED light strips unlock additional customisation options for your PC and allow you to display all your gaming hardware with pride in your favourite colour.
What’s more, you can highlight all your killer mouse movements and keystrokes thanks to peripherals with RGB lighting. Most gaming peripherals and hardware are compatible with a control software, such as Glorious CORE or ASUS Aura Sync, which will unlock 16.8 million colours and a variety of lighting effects, including the classic rainbow wave. You can control, configure, and synchronise all of your gaming tech to match your aesthetic perfectly.
Kolink Void RGB White Mid Tower PC Case:
- Mid tower PC case
- Supports up to ATX motherboards
- GPU clearance of 310mm
- Tempered glass side panel
- Infinity mirror effect front
- Integrated RGB lighting
Kolink Inspire L1 ARGB 40cm LED Strip:
- 40cm RGB LED strip
- Magnetic backing or 3M adhesive backing
- Compatible with ASUS Aura Sync and MSI Mystic Light
Glorious Model-D USB RGB Optical Gaming Mouse:
- Optical gaming mouse
- Pixart PMW 3360 sensor
- Up to 12,000 DPI
- Honeycomb design
- Integrated RGB lighting
Ducky One 3 Classic TKL USB RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard:
- Mechanical gaming keyboard
- TKL form factor
- Built with Ducky’s QUACK mechanics
- This model comes with Cherry MX Speed Silver switches
- Integrated RGB lighting
Our Favourite Wholesome Games to Play this Blue Monday:
Here are our favourite wholesome games to play whilst you bask in the ambience of your RGB lighting.
Stardew Valley
One of our personal favourites, Stardew Valley is the perfect way to escape your daily grind by building a brand-new life on a farm.
After you inherit your grandfather’s old farm, you can finally break away from your 9-5 city life. Equipped with a few hand-me-down tools, set off on an adventure to rebuild the farm by growing crops, raising animals, joining the small Pelican Town community, and so much more! Who knows, you could even find your special virtual someone…
Official PC System Specification:
| Minimum | |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows Vista or higher |
| Processor | 2Ghz CPU |
| Memory | 2GB RAM |
| Graphics | GPU with 256MB video memory |
| DirectX | Version 10 |
| Storage | 500MB available space |
Top PC to Play Stardew Valley
Refract Gaming Crimson Pre-built PC
A part of the Refract Gaming range, the Crimson pre-built PC has been carefully crafted for casual and entry-level gaming. Equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G APU with integrated RX Vega Graphics, unlock fast speeds and smooth gameplay in Stardew Valley and many more of your favourite casual games. In addition to this, every PC in the Refract Gaming range comes with a three-year warranty which covers parts and labour, for extra peace of mind. Unfortunately, your warranty doesn’t cover any loss of items in the Skull Caverns.
- Pre-built gaming PC
- Designed for casual and entry-level gaming
- Includes an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G APU with RX Vega Graphics
- Comes with a three year warranty which covers parts and labour
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Experience the magic of Disney and build friendships with your favourite Disney and Pixar characters.
In Disney Dreamlight Valley, you are tasked with restoring the magic back into the once idyllic Dreamlight Valley after the Forgetting. Uncover the mystery behind what happened, build friendships, and work to return the valley to its former glory!
Official PC System Specification
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| Processor | Intel Core i3 540 or AMD Phenom II X4 940 | Intel Core i5 4690 or AMD Ryzen 3 1300X |
| Memory | 6GB RAM | 6GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT or AMD Radeon HD 6570 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 or AMD Radeon R9 380 |
| DirectX | Version 10 | Version 11 |
| Storage | 10GB available space | 10GB available space |
Top PC to Play Disney Dreamlight Valley
OcUK Gaming Radiance Frosty MK2 PC
Armed with the OcUK Gaming Radiance Frosty MK2 PC you will have everything you need to enjoy playing Disney Dreamlight Valley. Included within this PC is a powerful Intel i5 11400F CPU for seamless performance in both single- and multi-threaded tasks. Plus, with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, unlock enhanced Ray Tracing and AI capabilities for photo-realistic visuals.
- Configurable gaming PC
- As standard comes with an Intel i5 14400F CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU
- Up to 16GB DDR4 RAM
- Customisable case and braided cables
- Flexible storage options available
Unpacking
Relax and unwind by literally unpacking!
The winner of the Best LGBTQ Indie Game at the 2022 Gayming Awards, Unpacking combines puzzles with organising. Players are tasked with unpacking and arranging various rooms, whilst learning about the life and journey of a character you never see. Everything has a rightful place in a home and it’s up to you to find the perfect spot.
Official PC System Specification
| Minimum | |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 7 |
| GPU | GPU with DirectX Version 10 |
| Storage | 1GB available space |
Top PC to Play Unpacking
OcUK Gaming Tanto Configurable PC
Enjoy playing all your favourite games without breaking your wallet with the OcUK Gaming Tanto PC. Armed with an Intel Core i3 12100F CPU and NVIDIA RTX 3060 GPU, enjoy fast performance, smooth frame rates, and immersive gaming. The OcUK Gaming Tanto is a configurable gaming PC. This means you can configure the base hardware specification to suit your individual preferences, favourite games, and gameplay style. This includes the operating system, operating for a Wi-Fi USB adapter, and additional storage drives.
- Configurable gaming PC
- As standard comes with an Intel Core i3 12100F CPU and NVIDIA RTX 3060 GPU
- 16GB DDR4 RAM
- Flexible storage options
Important Resources:
On a serious note, it’s important to remember, recurring feelings of loneliness, depression, and stress shouldn’t go ignored.
Times are difficult and if you are struggling with your mental health or SAD, remember you aren’t alone. It’s best to reach out and talk to someone, whether this is a family member, friend, or even a mental health organisation.
We’ve included a list of mental health charities that you can get in contact with.
Lastly, to get you feeling wholesome and cosy, why not take a look at our video from last year? You can’t go wrong with some pets and PCs!
- 7 min read
Ruth Rowley
Author
Ruth has been with Overclockers UK for over a year and has gone on to write about everything ranging from in-depth hardware guides to monthly game releases.
Outside of writing blog posts, she can be found wrapped in a blanket with her black cat, engrossed in a book or playing life-simulation games such as The Sims, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing.
Read More >>