Monday Blues Linked to Long-Term Stress

New research suggests that Monday anxiety can lead to sustained elevated cortisol levels, potentially impacting health.

Do you dread Mondays? New research indicates that Monday-specific anxiety may trigger a stress response with lasting effects on your body, regardless of your age or profession; elevated stress hormones are linked to heart disease, anxiety, and a weakened immune system.

The Monday Cortisol Spike

A recent study from the University of Hong Kong revealed that older adults who experienced anxiety on Mondays exhibited 23% higher cortisol levels up to two months later, compared to those reporting anxiety on other days.

Cortisol, while crucial for alertness and threat response, can compromise the immune system and elevate risks of chronic ailments if levels remain high for extended periods; high levels for too long can weaken the immune system and raise the risk of heart disease, anxiety and other chronic problems.

According to Modupe Akinola, a professor at Columbia Business School, Monday anxiety uniquely triggers a lasting cortisol increase, because the day can be associated with uncertainty, danger or dread.

This phenomenon persists even among retirees, suggesting that years of accumulated Monday stress could leave lasting marks on both mind and body.

The Body’s Internal Clock

Robert Sapolsky, a biologist and neuroscientist at Stanford University, explains that shifts in sleep, diet, and activity during weekends disrupt the body’s internal clock, intensifying Monday morning’s challenges.

Sapolsky, author of “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers,” notes, Cortisol is not just reactive — a lot of what it does is anticipatory. Expectation of stress can drive cortisol levels even higher than the stress itself.

That transition from weekend relaxation to weekday responsibilities heightens the difficulty of Mondays, noted Akinola. Roughly 60% of U.S. workers report experiencing the “Sunday Scaries,” a form of anxiety about the upcoming work week (Zippia 2023).

Akinola explains, There is something effortful about Mondays — you have to get up, get dressed, get focused, deal with traffic, when over the weekend you typically don’t deal with these things. All of those extra demands that come on Monday make it feel like you may not have the resources to cope … and your body’s stress system is telling you to get ready to battle.

Increased Cardiovascular Risk

This consistent stress accumulation might explain the higher incidence of heart attacks on Mondays, a trend identified in prior research associating the week’s start with increased cardiovascular risks.

Sapolsky cautions that such recurring psychological pressures, particularly those ingrained in our daily patterns, can gradually erode the body’s resilience and increase vulnerability to long-term health concerns.

Taking Control of Your Stress

Akinola suggests conducting a weekly stress inventory, pinpointing sources of dread before the body enters fight-or-flight mode.

Akinola says that People typically don’t even realize they are stressed, let alone have clarity on what is stressing them out and how their body might respond. A daily or weekly stress inventory … will help stress move from being background noise to top of mind and when this happens, you can actually take control.