Scientific American pointed to Monday's impact on stress for the brain and body

Monday may be a biologically measurable stress factor that has an impact on long-term health and contributes to retirement. This is reported by Scientific American magazine.

For decades, the term "Monday blues" has been used to refer to the collective anguish over the start of each work week. On Mondays, people experience the highest levels of anxiety, stress, and even suicidal tendencies compared to other days. The relevant data is also documented in medical statistics.

International studies of the phenomenon have shown that the probability of sudden death from heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases on Mondays increases by 19% compared to other days of the week for both men and women, regardless of age.

At the moment, it is known that the impact of Monday can go far beyond short-term mood swings. It is noted that people who complain of increased anxiety on Mondays have been experiencing high activity of the stress response system for several months. Even more surprisingly, this effect persists, including in older people who no longer work. Such data suggest that stress on Mondays haunts some people throughout their lives.

At the same time, the biological basis of the "Monday effect" remained unclear for a long time. To understand whether stress and anxiety on Mondays can be isolated on a biological level and whether they can leave a mark in the body even after dismissal, Tarani Chandola, a professor at the Department of Medical Sociology at the University of Hong Kong, focused on the stress hormone cortisol.

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When a person is faced with stress, the brain produces cortisol, which helps to cope with short-term stress by mobilizing energy and increasing concentration. At the same time, chronically high cortisol levels disrupt the functioning of the brain and body systems, contributing to an increased risk of developing anxiety, depression, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity. There is also a weakening of immune function.

According to early research, stress hormone levels may be higher on weekdays compared to weekends. At the same time, only a few works directly examine the issue of Monday's perception as a stressful day on a biological level. To continue the analysis, Chandola turned to the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA), which involves more than 10,000 British adults over the age of 50. The specialist focused on a subgroup of participants and asked how anxious their condition was, as well as analyzed cortisol levels in their hair samples.

Of the 3 study participants, 281 reported experiencing anxiety on Monday, while 1,080 reported experiencing anxiety on another day of the week. Some of the volunteers also provided hair samples to analyze the difference in cortisol levels between the groups of participants. The analysis also took into account whether the subjects continued to work or were retired.

The results showed that older people who reported feeling anxious on Monday had cortisol levels in their hair taken two months later, which were on average 23% higher than those who experienced anxiety on other days. This association was most pronounced in people with the highest levels of stress hormone, those who are at particular risk of developing health problems associated with chronic stress.

At the same time, the anxiety experienced by the participants on other days of the week was not associated with an increase in cortisol levels. This result was observed both among those who continue to work and among pensioners. It is emphasized that the biological effects of anxiety on Mondays persist even after dismissal or retirement.

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Although stress on Monday causes increased anxiety, this is not the only reason. Research shows that the uncertainty with which a new week begins, as well as the transition from weekends to a strict work schedule, create conditions for increased stress. When a person cannot adapt to these changes, accumulated stress can lead to serious problems in the body.

In such people, stress can accumulate throughout life and can lead to problems with the regulation of the stress system, which will increase the risk of developing diseases. It is also noted that some people experience anxiety on Mondays so often that the body can produce an automatic reaction when the first day of the new week arrives.

It is noteworthy that this study also showed that the effects of stress on Mondays are long-lasting, affecting health in the long run. Doctors may recommend planning treatment and prevention of diseases related to chronic stress in advance, especially for the elderly, who are most susceptible to such changes.

On September 26, Georgy Karpenko, an architect at Architecture Plus Information (Perkins & Will) in New York, told Izvestia about the direct impact of architecture on the inner state of a person. It was noted that the majestic spaces of temples, parliaments or town halls raise the gaze upward and direct thoughts to something more, and chamber bars, lounges or private rooms create an atmosphere of comfort and security.

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