The month of May is specifically associated with 五月病 (gogatsu-byō), which translates as “May sickness” or the “May blues,” and recent media reports suggest, even in April, an increase in メンタル不調 (mental fuchō, mental health problems) among young employees.

This dip in psychological well-being is often attributed to an accumulated 疲労 (hirō, fatigue) from the new work and school terms that begin in April and rises sharply after ゴールデンウィーク (gōruden wīku, Golden Week), the week that includes four national holidays and this year lasts from April 29 to May 6. Getting a week’s break after working hard for a month can sometimes cause people to struggle to get back to the grind.

メンタル不調 often starts with subtle symptoms. Let’s look at a short conversation between two close colleagues to see how they talk about their メンタル不調: