Mondays Might Actually Negatively Impact Your Health

A recent study led by Professor Tarani Chandola from the University of Hong Kong has revealed that Mondays may pose a hidden threat to heart health, even long after retirement.

The research, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, analysed data from over 3,500 older adults in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and found a clear link between Monday-related anxiety and elevated levels of cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone.

Hair samples showed that individuals who reported feeling anxious on Mondays had cortisol levels 23 percent higher than those who felt anxious on other days.

This increase persisted over a two-month period, suggesting a long-term biological stress response.

Interestingly, the effect was not limited to those still in employment. Retirees showed the same physiological response, indicating that the source of Monday stress is not simply the workplace.

Instead, the study suggests that societal rhythms and expectations make Mondays a particularly potent stress trigger.

This anxiety appears to disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the system that regulates cortisol and plays a key role in cardiovascular health. Chronic dysregulation of this system can contribute to hypertension, insulin resistance, and weakened immune function.

Although previous research has shown that cortisol levels are generally higher on weekdays than weekends, this is the first study to isolate Monday as uniquely stressful.

The findings highlight how cultural structures, such as the traditional start of the week, can leave a lasting imprint on human biology. Addressing Monday-specific stress could help reduce cardiovascular risk in ageing populations.

#MaltaDaily