If you've got a weekly case of the Monday blues, let a new study reassure you that Mondays aren't actually all that bad.

The research, published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, found that the average American's "emotional state on Mondays is the same as it is on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays," Gallup.com reports.

These mood patterns were virtually identical for men and women.

Three psychologists poured over data from 340,000 Americans who were asked about their moods on each day of the week. They reported how they felt — "happiness," "worry," or "sadness," for example — on the day prior.

While the study found "no statistical evidence for worse moods on the first day of the work week," it did find that moods began to improve on Fridays — the TGIF effect — with people reporting feeling happiest on the weekend. Even retirees who no longer experience the dreaded Monday-to-Friday grind enjoyed weekends most, reports the Washington Post.

Then why do Mondays feel so difficult? It's the contrast against a happier Sunday that we're noticing:

"Despite our global beliefs about lousy Mondays, we conclude that this belief should, in general, be abandoned," the researchers said. "The perception of Blue Mondays is likely prevalent due to the extreme contrast in mood from Sunday to Monday, even though there is no real difference in mood with Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday."

Gallup.com's blog, Thrive, sums up the findings: "a 'case of the Mondays' is really just a case of the work week."

Blue Monday phenomenon has been debunked. That said, aren't you glad it's the weekend?