Perceived happiness and cortisol awakening response on workdays and weekends

Abstract

The relationship between perceived happiness and salivary cortisol awakening response (CAR) on workdays and weekends was investigated. Full time women workers (n = 58: 20-50 years) participated in this study. Happiness was evaluated using the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) and participants (n = 16) were classified into high (average + 1/2SD), or low (n = 13) happiness groups (average - 1/2SD). Participants were instructed to collect saliva on six occasions each day over workdays and the weekends: at bedtime, immediately on awakening, 30 minutes after awakening, 10:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 3:00 pm. Results indicated that there were significant CAR differences in the high happiness group between workdays and weekends, whereas this was not the case in the low happiness group. Moreover, CAR was larger on weekends in the low happiness group than in the high happiness group. These results indicate that HPA functions of high happiness people change on workdays and weekends due to appropriate responsiveness (allostasis), such that they can optimally adapt to work and work related stress.