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Research shows that blood pressure is consistently higher on Mondays, leading to more heart attacks. Going to work can cause additional stress and raise blood pressure, putting workers at risk. While the exact cause is unknown, lifestyle changes such as exercise and relaxation techniques can help reduce the risk.
There may be more to the stress and anxiety many of us feel on Monday mornings, just giving us one more reason to stay in bed for a three-day weekend. A 2005 study by Tokyo Women’s Medical University in Japan found that one of the leading causes of more heart attacks — blood pressure — was consistently higher in study volunteers on Mondays than any other day of the week. An older study confirmed that, in fact, more people suffer from heart attacks on Mondays, 20% more than on the other six days.
Two groups of participants were tracked, and those who went to work on Monday morning showed the highest peak or change in their blood pressure, while others who didn’t have to work that day remained the same. While many of us realize that going back to work can be mildly stressful, the fact that there are more heart attacks on Mondays needs looking into. Another study found that simply going to work can cause additional stress, raise blood pressure and put workers who return home at an additional risk of a heart attack on Monday. Anyone who has sat in Monday morning traffic on the way to work can agree that it sure is stressful. Some may find it too difficult to switch from weekend mode to work mode, resulting in stress and anxiety.
While the researchers say the study was too small to conclusively determine whether the spike in blood pressure is due to returning to work on Monday, or is due to some other factor, it seems logical that the stress of returning to work contributes to more heart attack on Monday. Unfortunately, this hypothesis doesn’t explain why the day that comes in second with the most heart attacks is Saturday. Another interesting statistic shows that heart attacks typically occur from 4am to 10pm due to the surge of adrenaline that the adrenal glands release in the morning. This additional adrenaline can lead to the breakdown of plaque in the arteries caused by cholesterol.
With more than a million Americans suffering from heart attacks each year, the medical field is constantly searching for an answer to why there are more heart attacks on Monday. It is hoped that someday researchers can find a more conclusive reason why in order to devise preventive programs to reduce the number of heart attacks on Mondays.
Meanwhile, workers can try to reduce the anxiety they feel on Monday by getting enough sleep on Sunday night, starting the day with a good breakfast, using relaxation techniques to get into the right mindset, avoiding traffic by carpooling or taking public transport, or even better, taking Monday off altogether! Other lifestyle changes, such as a proper diet and exercise, can help reduce the risk of a heart attack. If you find your job to be a huge source of stress, try to find ways to reduce Monday morning stress or find a job that is less stressful on your health.
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