The workweek may start with more than a groan — it could be taking a measurable toll on your health, a study from the University of Hong Kong has found.
Older adults who experienced anxiety specifically on Mondays had significantly higher levels of cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, in their system one to two months later, per the study.
Cortisol, at consistently high levels, can strain the immune system and contribute to long-term health problems such as heart disease and anxiety, according to health experts.
Researchers reported a 23% increase in overall cortisol levels among those who felt anxious at the start of the week, compared to people who reported anxiety on other days.
Some of the reaction is mental, but shifts in sleep and routine over the weekend don’t help either.
“Cortisol is not just reactive,” Stanford University neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky told the New York Post. “Expectation of