If you struggled to get up for work on Wednesdays, there could be a good reason--it is the day our mood reaches its lowest point.

 

Psychologists have found that, on average, people's moods remain about the same on each day throughout the week.

 

Monday has traditionally been thought of as the most depressing day of the week but according to psychologists, midweek gives more cause for concern in reality.

 

Wednesday represented the lowest point in the week as people were furthest away from the weekend that has either just gone or is coming up and often feel bogged¹ down with work.

 

To start their research, the University of Sydney scientists asked around 200 people what they thought their mood would be on each day of the week.

 

Most said their worst moods were on Monday mornings and evenings but they became increasingly cheerful as the week wore on, with their best moods falling on Friday and Saturday mornings and evenings.

 

When asked why they believed that Friday and Saturday were best, respondents said they saw them as less-structured days when they could choose how to spend their time.

 

The psychologists then asked a further 350 people how they felt each day.

 

They found that, on average, people's moods remained about the same on each day throughout the week.

 

Mondays were not as depressing as they had feared and Fridays and Saturdays were not as exciting as predicted.

 

Professor Charles Areni, who led the study, said the day-of-the-week stereotypes² stem from a cultural belief that people are generally happier when they are free to choose their activities compared to when they are engaged in paid work.

 

In reality, he said, weekends do not often see moods soar because they are frequently dominated by productive activities that may require large amounts of energy and begin to feel tired like work.

 

"Day-of-the-week stereotypes like Monday morning blues³ and Thank God It's Friday are largely illusions," he said.

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