"Anxious Monday": What's behind it when Mondays stress you out – according to a study
Are you one of those people who's already stressed on Sunday evening because the new week begins the next morning? There's a scientific explanation for this – researchers have studied what happens in our bodies when we're anxious about the start of the week.
"Sunday scares" are a real problem for many of us: We wake up on Sunday morning feeling relaxed and content, after all, with a whole day off ahead of us. But as the last day of the week progresses, a subtle fear sets in. Over the course of the day, it becomes increasingly intense, until by the evening we feel truly uneasy and stressed – because tomorrow is Monday, a new week begins, we have to work and fulfill our other obligations.
"Anxious Monday": Why do Mondays stress us so much?"Sunday Scaries" are often followed by "Anxious Monday." If we go to bed Sunday night feeling anxious and stressed, chances are we'll wake up Monday morning feeling the same way. But why is that? Do we all just have the wrong jobs? Or is there more to Monday stress?
A research team led by Professor Tarani Chandola of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) investigated this question. The researchers analyzed data from more than 3,500 older adults who participated in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA).
Chandola's team concluded that Mondays do indeed cause long-term biological stress—regardless of the job—and thus also have an impact on heart health. The research identified a remarkable biological phenomenon: Older adults who feel anxious on Mondays still show significantly elevated long-term stress hormone levels for up to two months later.
This "Anxious Monday" effect, which was observed in the study among both working people and retirees, suggests a deep-rooted connection between the start of the week and dysregulation of the body's stress system.
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The older adults with Monday anxiety had 23 percent higher cortisol levels in hair samples (which, according to the researchers, reflects cumulative stress over two months) compared to peers who experienced anxiety and stress on other days. The effect was also evident in people who were already retired, thus refuting the assumption that work-related stress is solely behind the "Anxious Monday" phenomenon.
Tarani Chandola's team also found a link with cardiovascular disease: Mondays are associated with a 19 percent increase in heart attacks.
How to escape "Anxious Monday""Mondays act as a cultural 'stress amplifier,'" says Professor Chandola. "For some older adults, the transition from week to week triggers a biological cascade that reverberates for months. This isn't about work—it's about how deeply Mondays are ingrained in our stress physiology, even after our working lives end."
So, what can help us avoid falling victim to "Anxious Monday" and its potential negative consequences for our heart health is conscious stress management and relaxation. This brings us back to Sunday: If we mindfully plan it so that we can switch off and recharge, we'll be better prepared for the new week.
What this conscious recovery looks like varies greatly from person to person. Some people find relaxation through physical activity, such as a hike in nature. Others use techniques like yoga or meditation to find their center, while others recover best by binge-watching their favorite TV series. The important thing is that we find what helps us personally start the new week with a little more peace and quiet—and thus prevent our cortisol levels from exploding.
mbl Brigitte
brigitte
