Bad weather, unfulfilled New Year's resolutions and credit card debt left from the holidays contribute to making this year's federal election day the most depressing of the year, according to a British psychologist.

Dr. Cliff Arnall, who created the mathematical formula last year to determine the best day for a summer holiday, says the factors that contribute to seasonal depression are at their peak near the last week of January.

The formula found Monday, Jan. 23 to be this year's worst day.

"You try a new regime, a diet regime or quitting smoking and it's after about five, 10 days that people start to realize they're not managing to keep to their resolution," the Cardiff University professor told CTV's Canada AM Monday.

"They start feeling low and beating themselves up and thinking 'what with the weather I'm feeling pretty low,' then you've got the money situation on top of that as well."

"You've got, you know, low temperature, you've got sleet, rain, low cloud base as well," he said. "There's kind of a feeling that you're being kind of almost pressed into your house and the feeling of not wanting to go out."

Arnall's formula also takes into account the "general Monday morning feeling," and the fact that many shoppers are now getting their credit card bills and realizing they overspent during the holidays.

The head of the Canadian Psychological Association says the results of Monday's federal election will likely further impact moods, especially those of the losers.

"It can be a very difficult experience for a candidate and those people that work hard for them to lose an election," John Service told The Canadian Press.

"It's a very public loss that you've invested a great deal of time and energy and emotion into, and so has your family and so has your friends and supporters, so they do feel let down."

Service advised candidates to understand that feeling low after losing is normal, and says taking a few days to rest and get back to pre-campaign eating and sleeping routines can make a big difference.

To avoid the annual slump, Arnall suggests keeping fit and mentally active and volunteering for a good cause, as helping others boosts self esteem.

Research by the Community Service Volunteers, the U.K.'s largest volunteer training organization, confirms this. The group found half of people who have volunteered for more than two years feel less depressed, and 63 per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds say they feel less stressed after volunteering.

Last year's most depressing day, according Arnall's formula, was Jan. 24.