People feel happiest in the morning and have the most anxiety around midnight. This applies to the majority, according to a study conducted by researchers at, among others, University College in London.
In the study, which was published in BMJ Mental Health, nearly 50,000 adults in the UK responded to questions over a two-year period about how satisfied they are with life, perceived loneliness, and how meaningful they think the things they do in life are.
Unexpected favorite day
In the responses, a clear link was seen between seasons and well-being. The participants reported fewer depressive symptoms, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness during spring, summer, and autumn than during winter.
Contrary to what many might think, Monday turned out to be a top day, along with Friday. Feelings of happiness and meaningfulness, for example, were higher on Mondays and Fridays than on Sundays. Feelings of loneliness, on the other hand, were constant throughout the week.
The fact that most people feel better in the morning than later in the day may have physiological explanations, the researchers write. For example, we have a peak of cortisol, a hormone that affects, among other things, mood and motivation, shortly after waking up. Cortisol dips as we approach bedtime.
Can be important
The difference during the week, on the other hand, has other explanations and may be related to work-related situations and other leisure activities that differ between weekdays.
"Knowledge about how people's well-being varies over the day can give us guidelines for when society should be ready with support measures," says Feifei Bu, one of the researchers behind the study to CNN.
The study included responses from nearly 50,000 adults in the UK who responded to questions over a two-year period.
The researchers took into account factors such as age, physical health, and whether the individuals had an occupation. Data was collected between March 2020 and March 2022.
Overall, the participants seemed to be more satisfied with life in the morning than in the evening.
The researchers noted, among other things, that mood swings were greater over the day on weekends compared to weekdays.
Source: BMJ Mental Health
