Daily and Seasonal Rhythms in Mental Well-Being
A new study published in BMJ Mental Health has revealed significant patterns in how people’s mental well-being fluctuates throughout the day, week, and year. The research, involving nearly 50,000 participants, primarily women, suggests that these rhythms could have implications for mental health service delivery and individual self-care strategies.Participants responded to survey questions such as: “In the past week, how happy did you feel?” “How satisfied have you been with your life?” and “To what extent have you felt the things you are doing in your life are worthwhile?” Researchers accounted for factors such as age, health conditions, and employment status. Time stamps were recorded when each survey was completed, providing data on the time of day, day of the week, season, and year (2020, 2021, or 2022).
Happy Mondays and Fridays
The findings indicated that ratings for happiness, life satisfaction, and feeling that life was “worthwhile” were higher on Mondays and Fridays compared with Sundays, with happiness also showing an increase on Tuesdays. However, no evidence was found to suggest that loneliness varied across days of the week.Participants reported feeling their best in the mornings, with the lowest levels of depressive symptoms and loneliness, and the highest levels of feelings of happiness and life satisfaction. Conversely, midnight was the time when participants reported feeling the worst.
The study also found a seasonal influence on mood, with participants reporting lower levels of depression, anxiety, and loneliness, and greater levels of happiness, life satisfaction, and feeling that life was worthwhile during the spring, summer, and fall compared with winter.
Mental health was best in the summer across all outcomes, the findings showed.
Feeling worse on Sundays could be caused by anxiety about the forthcoming week, which people refer to as the “Sunday scaries,” Sanam Hafeez, a New York City-based neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind, who was not part of the study, told The Epoch Times.
“But once Monday comes around, this feeling often fades and mood tends to improve because work structure and social interactions lead to better well-being,” she said.
“The need for work–life balance becomes evident through Sunday activities that people find enjoyable which help make the upcoming workweek seem less daunting.”
Potential Explanations
The study authors suggested that changes in mental health and well-being throughout the day could be attributed to physiological changes linked to the body’s internal clock.“For example, cortisol peaks shortly after waking and reaches its lowest levels around bedtime,” the researchers wrote.
Cortisol, often called the “stress hormone,” plays a crucial role in mental well-being by enabling the body to respond to stressful situations through the “fight-or-flight” response. The morning peak helps us feel alert and energized to face the day’s challenges, while the evening dip allows us to wind down for sleep. Disruptions to this natural rise and fall (such as chronically high cortisol) can negatively affect sleep, mood, and overall mental well-being.
The researchers also emphasized the importance of considering differences between weekdays and weekends—with variations possibly driven by factors such as the sequence of daily activities.
While physiological changes related to the body’s internal clock might explain some daily variations, the researchers pointed out that “other drivers of the seasonal variation in [mental health and well-being] could include weather (temperature, precipitation, humidity) as well as various sociocultural cycles, including cultural holidays, norms, and employment patterns,” such as job situations.
- Temperature: Research links high temperatures and increased reports of poor mental health, including depression and anxiety symptoms.
- Sunlight: Reduced daylight hours during winter can contribute to seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression linked to decreased exposure to sunlight.
- Humidity: High humidity levels can also be associated with negative effects on mood and well-being.
Implications for Mental Health Services and Self-Care
Researchers noted that the findings could have implications for service delivery and clinical assessments in a health care setting.Hafeez agreed. “Understanding these patterns can also guide scheduling therapy or support services when they’re most needed,” she said.
To optimize mental well-being, Hafeez recommended tackling important tasks in the morning when mood and focus are highest and reserving evenings for relaxation.
“Since mental health dips in winter, strategies like light exposure and outdoor activities can help,” she said. “A regular routine that incorporates balanced sleep and exercise throughout the week helps maintain stable well-being.”
The researchers acknowledged that the study was observational, so it could not establish cause-and-effect relationships. They also noted that the timing of questionnaire completion could have influenced the findings and that they lacked information regarding sleep cycles, latitude, or weather—factors that might have influenced the results.
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