Why is Monday so mean to me? Many people ask themselves this question when starting a new week after a weekend. But is Monday really so bad? Some time ago, Guinness World Records officially declared Monday the worst day of the week (1). However, I believe all days are the same, and we, humans, make them different. In this post, I want to explore why Monday is often considered the worst.
Frankly speaking, I love Mondays – the city feels calmer and cleaner, providing space for fresh thoughts and doings. But I must admit that Monday is not equally pleasant for everyone, and there was a time when I didn’t enjoy the start of the week either. In fact, statistics support Monday’s status as the most unwanted day. The beginning of the week is often associated with higher stress levels, lower productivity, and higher suicide rates for both men and women (2). Zety’s research on Monday found that 80% of respondents believe Monday is the most stressful day of the week, and 41% hate Monday (3).
So, why is Monday so hard for some people? The truth is that our weekend routine is very different from our weekdays, and Monday is simply the first day after the weekend so it might feel like a hangover. Many people, including myself, follow an established routine during weekdays, and when Friday arrives, we may change our rhythm and behaviour patterns. Let’s take the sleeping schedule as an example. On Fridays, we tend to go out or stay late, enjoying the evening after five days of work. One late night causes a shift in bedtime/wake-up time and increases our stress level. Several nights in a row with a changed sleeping routine will further increase stress, leading to a bad feeling on Monday morning.
Of course, there are other reasons affecting our Monday state of being. Excessive alcohol consumption significantly impacts the quality of our sleep, not allowing recovery and restoring energy levels during the night (4). Weekends filled with visiting family and friends may not have enough “me-time” and cause emotional fatigue and physical exhaustion from active and time-consuming commuting. Also, some of us prefer following the flow instead of a fixed plan, and returning to rigid office routines with deadlines after a weekend of relative freedom can be stressful. Or, we may not like our job, and just thinking about returning to this environment every Monday doesn’t feel good. To sum up, the start of the week largely depends on the difference in our routine between weekdays and weekends. The more significant difference, the more challenging Monday might be.
On a personal side, I recently stayed over at my friend’s for several days and went to bed on average two hours later than usual during weekdays, not to mention large dinners and a glass of wine. When I returned home on Sunday night, I felt exhausted even though I had a fantastic time with my friend. The following Monday wasn’t easy on me, and it took me two full days to restore my productivity and normalise my sleeping cycle.
How do you approach the start of the working week? And what is your experience with Monday?
Be well. Enjoy every day!
Sources:
- https://twitter.com/GWR/status/1581920448555544576?lang=en
- Maldonado G, Kraus JF. Variation in suicide occurrence by time of day, day of the week, month, and lunar phase. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1991 Summer;21(2):174-87. PMID: 1887454.
- https://zety.com/blog/workweek-productivity
- https://www.sleepfoundation.org/nutrition/alcohol-and-sleep
Image by Ricotta.Team