Feeling jittery as the week kicks off isn’t just a mood—it leaves a biochemical footprint. Researchers tracked thousands of older adults and found those who dread Mondays carry elevated cortisol in their hair for months, a stress echo that may help explain the well-known Monday heart-attack spike. Even retirees aren’t spared, hinting that society’s calendar, not the workplace alone, wires Monday anxiety deep into the HPA axis and, ultimately, cardiovascular risk.
FULL STORY
Anxious Mondays drive a lingering cortisol surge—23 % higher in hair samples—linking the weekly transition to long-term heart-health threats, even after careers end. Credit: Shutterstock
A research study led by Professor Tarani Chandola from the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has revealed that Mondays uniquely drive long-term biological stress, regardless of working status, with implications for heart health.
The research has identified a striking biological phenomenon: older adults who feel anxious on Mondays exhibit significantly higher long-term stress hormone levels, up to two months later. This "Anxious Monday" effect, observed in both working and retirees, points to a deep-rooted link between the start of the week and dysregulation of the body's stress response system, a known driver of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, the study analyzed data from over 3,500 older adults participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA).
Key Findings
23% Higher Cortisol Levels: Older adults reporting Monday anxiety had 23% elevated cortisol levels in hair samples (reflecting cumulative exposure over two months) compared to peers anxious on other days.
Non-Workers Not Spared: The effect persisted among retirees, challenging assumptions that workplace stress alone explains Monday's toll.
CVD Connection: Mondays are linked to a 19% spike in heart attacks -- this study identifies HPA-axis dysregulation as a potential biological bridge.
Not just higher levels of Monday anxiety: Only 25% of the Monday effect was due to greater feelings of anxiety on Mondays. The rest was because of the greater effect of feeling anxious on Mondays compared to other days.
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulates stress hormones like cortisol, which, when chronically elevated, contribute to hypertension, insulin resistance, and immune dysfunction. While prior research noted higher cortisol on weekdays versus weekends, this is the first study to pinpoint Mondays as uniquely disruptive. The findings suggest societal rhythms -- not just job demands -- embed themselves in human physiology, with lasting health risks.
"Mondays act as a cultural 'stress amplifier,'" said Professor Chandola. "For some older adults, the week's transition triggers a biological cascade that lingers for months. This isn't about work -- it's about how deeply ingrained Mondays are in our stress physiology, even after careers end.
The study underscores how the "Monday blues" can become biologically embedded, with chronic stress hormone dysregulation posing long-term cardiovascular risks. Addressing Monday-specific stress could unlock new strategies to combat heart disease in aging populations.
Tarani Chandola, Wanying Ling, Patrick Rouxel. Are anxious Mondays associated with HPA-axis dysregulation? A longitudinal study of older adults in England. Journal of Affective Disorders, 2025; 389: 119611 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.119611[3]
Cite This Page:
The University of Hong Kong. "New research shows Monday stress is etched into your biology." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 July 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250706230309.htm>.
The University of Hong Kong. (2025, July 7). New research shows Monday stress is etched into your biology. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 7, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250706230309.htm
The University of Hong Kong. "New research shows Monday stress is etched into your biology." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250706230309.htm (accessed July 7, 2025).
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The University of Hong Kong
Summary:
Feeling jittery as the week kicks off isn’t just a mood—it leaves a biochemical footprint. Researchers tracked thousands of older adults and found those who dread Mondays carry elevated cortisol in their hair for months, a stress echo that may help explain the well-known Monday heart-attack spike. Even retirees aren’t spared, hinting that society’s calendar, not the workplace alone, wires Monday anxiety deep into the HPA axis and, ultimately, cardiovascular risk.
FULL STORY
Anxious Mondays drive a lingering cortisol surge—23 % higher in hair samples—linking the weekly transition to long-term heart-health threats, even after careers end. Credit: Shutterstock
A research study led by Professor Tarani Chandola from the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has revealed that Mondays uniquely drive long-term biological stress, regardless of working status, with implications for heart health.
The research has identified a striking biological phenomenon: older adults who feel anxious on Mondays exhibit significantly higher long-term stress hormone levels, up to two months later. This "Anxious Monday" effect, observed in both working and retirees, points to a deep-rooted link between the start of the week and dysregulation of the body's stress response system, a known driver of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, the study analyzed data from over 3,500 older adults participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA).
Key Findings
23% Higher Cortisol Levels: Older adults reporting Monday anxiety had 23% elevated cortisol levels in hair samples (reflecting cumulative exposure over two months) compared to peers anxious on other days.
Non-Workers Not Spared: The effect persisted among retirees, challenging assumptions that workplace stress alone explains Monday's toll.
CVD Connection: Mondays are linked to a 19% spike in heart attacks -- this study identifies HPA-axis dysregulation as a potential biological bridge.
Not just higher levels of Monday anxiety: Only 25% of the Monday effect was due to greater feelings of anxiety on Mondays. The rest was because of the greater effect of feeling anxious on Mondays compared to other days.
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulates stress hormones like cortisol, which, when chronically elevated, contribute to hypertension, insulin resistance, and immune dysfunction. While prior research noted higher cortisol on weekdays versus weekends, this is the first study to pinpoint Mondays as uniquely disruptive. The findings suggest societal rhythms -- not just job demands -- embed themselves in human physiology, with lasting health risks.
"Mondays act as a cultural 'stress amplifier,'" said Professor Chandola. "For some older adults, the week's transition triggers a biological cascade that lingers for months. This isn't about work -- it's about how deeply ingrained Mondays are in our stress physiology, even after careers end.
The study underscores how the "Monday blues" can become biologically embedded, with chronic stress hormone dysregulation posing long-term cardiovascular risks. Addressing Monday-specific stress could unlock new strategies to combat heart disease in aging populations.
Tarani Chandola, Wanying Ling, Patrick Rouxel. Are anxious Mondays associated with HPA-axis dysregulation? A longitudinal study of older adults in England. Journal of Affective Disorders, 2025; 389: 119611 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.119611[3]
Cite This Page:
The University of Hong Kong. "New research shows Monday stress is etched into your biology." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 July 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250706230309.htm>.
The University of Hong Kong. (2025, July 7). New research shows Monday stress is etched into your biology. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 7, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250706230309.htm
The University of Hong Kong. "New research shows Monday stress is etched into your biology." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250706230309.htm (accessed July 7, 2025).
June 25, 2025 Leafcutter ants live in highly organized colonies where every ant has a job, and now researchers can flip those jobs like a switch. By manipulating just two neuropeptides, scientists can turn ...
Jan. 31, 2024 A snippet of hair can reveal a pregnant person's stress level and may one day help warn of unexpected birth problems, a study indicates. Researchers measured the stress hormone cortisol in hair ...
Oct. 16, 2023 Exposure to a large-scale disaster, such as a tsunami, impacts population health over a decade later. A new study has found that women who lived along the coast of Aceh, Indonesia when it was hit by ...
Oct. 7, 2021 A new study finds that mental training reduces the concentration of the stress hormone cortisol in hair. The amount of cortisol in hair provides information about how much a person is burdened by ...
Sep. 20, 2021 Scientists have studied the effect of internet usage on cognitive function. Examining more than 2000 retirees from 10 European countries, researchers found that, on average, retirees who used the ...
Mar. 31, 2021 Researchers have identified the biological mechanism of how chronic stress leads to hair loss. They found that the stress hormone corticosterone causes hair follicle stem cells to stay in an extended ...
