A new study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, researchers studied 3,500+ people aged 50 and older in England. They checked stress levels using hair samples (yep, your hair keeps stress receipts!).
They found that:
- People who felt anxious on Mondays had 23% more stress hormones than those stressed on other days.
- This happened in both workers and retired folks, so it’s not just a work thing!
- Monday stress seems to affect the body more deeply and sticks around longer.
What this means:
- Feeling anxious on Mondays might do more damage to your body than you think.
- Even if you don’t work anymore, Monday still has a weird power to stress people out.
Be kind to yourself and plan something nice for Mondays to fight the stress monster!
Source: Chandola et al., 2025. Are anxious Mondays associated with HPA-axis dysregulation? A longitudinal study of older adults in England, Journal of Affective Disorders, 389, 119611.