A team from the University of Hong Kong found that “Monday anxiety” affects both working people and retirees. This suggests a deep link between the start of the week and disruptions to the body’s stress-response system, which can contribute to heart disease.
The study found that older adults who feel anxious on Mondays had a significant rise in stress hormone levels that lasted up to two months.
What Did the Scientists Discover?
The researchers analyzed data from more than 3,500 adults in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA).
Hair samples from older participants who reported Monday anxiety showed nearly a 25% increase in cortisol, the stress hormone. That points to a cumulative stress effect over about two months. The same increase did not appear in participants who reported anxiety on other days, The Independent reported.
The researchers were surprised to find Monday anxiety among retirees, suggesting that the stress of the week’s start isn’t only about work.
The team says that workplace demands and broader social rhythms affect human physiology, creating health risks—especially for the cardiovascular system—on Mondays.
Heart attacks increase by nearly 20% on Mondays. The team says this spike is unlikely to be a coincidence. They hypothesize the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which regulates stress hormones like cortisol, plays a key role.
Chronic dysregulation of stress hormones contributes to hypertension, insulin resistance, and immune dysfunction.
Previous research emphasized that stress is higher on weekdays than weekends. This new study identifies Mondays as uniquely harmful.
“For some older adults, the transition to a new week triggers a cascade of biological reactions that can last for months. It’s not just about work; it’s about how deeply Mondays are ingrained in our stress physiology, making their presence felt even after retirement,” noted Tarani Chandola, a co-author of the study.
The team hopes tackling typical Monday stressors could lead to new strategies to prevent heart disease in older adults.
The study was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
