Why are Mondays the Worst?

By Juee Deshmukh, Edited by Kavya Gurunath & Harvi Karatha, Layout by Vrinda Gandhi, Art by Evelyn Chen, & Blogged by Kavya Gurunath

Monday—a new, fresh start—right? Not so much. Read more to learn why the first day of the workweek is the most loathed.

You wake up to your phone’s vibrations and fumble to get out of bed. The bags under your eyes are heavy as you remember how exciting dinner was yesterday. Suddenly, the realization of today truly wakes you up. Rise and shine, it’s Monday! Studies show that on Monday, everyone is at their lowest mood. But Tuesday and Wednesdays are workdays too, so why isn’t our mood lower on those days? Considering the loss of freedom, dislike for work or school, and anxiety for the undetermined week, Mondays are the most psychologically challenging day to bear through.

Mondays are the hardest to bear because you feel like you’ve lost a sense of freedom. Before Monday, almost everyone has two days of liberty and recreation. A sudden emotional shift from an eventful weekend to a day of routine and responsibility feels disappointing. Becky Stuempfig, a marriage and family therapist, notes that many “feel a sense of disappointment and dread about having to return to their responsibilities rather than spending time how they choose to spend it” (Bologna, 2020). The transition from leisure to restriction displays a loss of freedom for many, making their Mondays dreadful.

Another reason why people dislike Mondays is because they might not favor work or school. Gallup poll results show that “70 percent of people hate,” or are uninterested in their job (Benjamin, 2015). One’s job might be stressful, whether it be a picky boss or rude coworkers. Regarding school, there might be a test, presentation, unfinished homework, or the teacher that they have to see first at 8 AM. Stress and depression that emerge on Sunday evening are called the “Monday Blues.” The Monday Blues remove any positive emotions for the following day. Disliking work and school combined with the Monday Blues makes Mondays challenging for numerous people of all ages.

Finally, you might hate Mondays because the week ahead is uncertain. Anticipating what you’ll possibly face removes any motivation. On Mondays, your attention is towards the dread of the week, yet on Thursdays, you’re focused on the weekend with underlying positivity. In addition, people are driven by external rewards, such as praise and money. Steumpfig emphasizes that people value these external rewards more than smaller internal rewards and personal goals (Bologna, 2020). At the start of the week, Mondays often lack the joy that people look for. The thought of what will happen in the impending workweek brings anxiety to many, making Mondays very dreadful.

So, there’s the psychology behind why the first weekday is universally hated. Not only are you anxious with 5 days ahead of you, freedom is also taken away. No one likes to go from amusement to sitting behind a desk all day, right? Whether we like it or not, Mondays are inescapable. Well, except for students on summer vacation.

References

Benjamin, K. (2015, December 21). 6 Scientific Reasons Mondays Are the Worst. Mental Floss. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/60239/6-scientific-reasons-mondays-are-worst

Bologna, C. (2020, November 16). Experts Explain Why Mondays Are So Psychologically Hard. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-mondays-hard-psychologically_l_5fb0375ac5b68baab0fcbf8c

By Evelyn Chen