Wednesdays - and not Mondays - are the most depressing day of the week, according to researchers.

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

But Wednesdays were the low point as people were furthest away from the weekend and bogged down with work.

The psychologists also found that although we look forward to it, the weekend does not actually improve our mood.

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.

The psychologists then asked a further 350 people how they felt each day, on the 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: "Day-of-the-week stereotypes like Monday morning blues and Thank God It's Friday are largely illusions."