Mondays seem to drive unique long-term stress across the body, regardless of working status, according to a new study with implications for heart health.
The research, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, found that older adults who feel anxious on Mondays exhibit significantly higher long-term stress hormone levels, up to two months later.
This “anxious Monday” effect was observed in both working people and retirees, pointing to a deep-rooted link between the start of the work week and dysregulation of the body’s natural stress response system, which is a known driver of heart disease.
In the study, scientists, including those from the University of Hong Kong, assessed data from over 3,500 adult participants of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA).
Older adults in the study who reported Monday anxiety had nearly 25 per cent elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their hair samples, indicative of cumulative stress exposure over two months, compared to their peers reporting anxiety on other days.
Even retirees seemed to exhibit signs of Monday anxiety, challenging assumptions that workplace stress alone was involved.
This suggests societal rhythms – and not just job demands – affect human physiology, with lasting health risks, including a role in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).
For instance, Mondays are linked to a nearly 20 per cent spike in heart attacks.
“The increase in CVD events on Mondays is unlikely to be a random phenomenon,” researchers wrote.
Scientists suspect a role played by the body’s hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which regulates stress hormones like cortisol.
When chronically elevated, the HPA axis is known to contribute to hypertension, insulin resistance, and immune dysfunction.
“This study found strong evidence for an association between reporting anxiety on Mondays and HPA-axis dysregulation,” scientists wrote.
“The anxious Monday association with HPA-axis dysregulation measured subsequently was evident among both working and nonworking older adults, with no reduction in the association among those not at work,” they wrote.
Previous studies have pointed to higher stress hormone levels among people on weekdays versus weekends, but the latest research is the first to pinpoint Mondays as uniquely disruptive.
“For some older adults, the week’s transition triggers a biological cascade that lingers for months. This isn’t about work – it’s about how deeply ingrained Mondays are in our stress physiology, even after careers end,” said Tarani Chandola, an author of the study from HKU.
Researchers hope addressing Monday-specific stressors could unlock new strategies to combat heart disease in ageing populations.
Focus on first responders' mental health grows as death toll rises in flood-ravaged Texas
Weight loss jabs not enough to tackle obesity, leading medics warn
Persistent and widespread medicine shortages putting patients at risk
Staggering trend of workers ‘turning to alcohol’ because of job stress revealed
When is flying ant day 2025 in the UK and why does it happen?
Notoriously cruel Roman emperor may have been a plant nerd, archaeologists find
