A mindfulness intervention promoting work–life balance: How segmentation preference affects changes in detachment, well‐being, and work–life balance

Abstract

This study evaluates a three-week online self-training intervention teaching mindfulness as a cognitive-emotional segmentation strategy. Daily effects on psychological detachment, affective well-being, psychological and strain-based work-family conflict, and satisfaction with work-life balance were assessed, with a particular focus on whether segmentation preferences moderate training responsiveness. A randomized wait-list control group design was used for administering daily questionnaires to 190 participants. Psychological detachment, affective well-being, and work-life interface measures were assessed daily. As expected, growth curve analyses revealed positive effects on psychological detachment, psychological work-family conflict, and work-life balance satisfaction. No effects were found for strain-based work-family conflict. Additionally, segmentation preferences moderated the intervention effect on psychological detachment, such that participants with low segmentation preference reported stronger intervention effects. Unexpectedly, affective well-being increased in both groups. Practitioner points Practicing mindfulness as a cognitive-emotional segmentation strategy enables detachment from work. Mindfulness training reduces psychological work-life conflict and enhances work-life balance satisfaction, irrespective of preferences for segmentation or integration. Mindfulness training increases detachment from work most successfully for integrators. Organizational practices and policies are advised to include brief mindfulness interventions in work-life balance programmes. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Having to Work from Home: Basic Needs, Well-Being, and Motivation

“…We do note that the wording of the segmentation preference scale [13] assesses more of an ability than a preference to separate life spheres and should thus be viewed as a resource rather than a necessity. People lacking this resource, i.e., people low in segmentation preference, can be helped, as these have been shown to profit particularly from a mindfulness intervention targeted at increasing detachment [25]. That childcare duties did not affect need satisfaction or daily work and well-being came as a surprise to us, given that other studies have found parents working from home to be under particular pressure during the pandemic, with mothers often shouldering the greater part of the additional care work [26][27][28].…”

Work-Time Control and Exhaustion: Internal Work-to-Home Interference and Internal Home-to-Work Interference as Mediators

“…Building on our finding that WTC has a positive effect on IHWI, organizations should train employees on additional boundary management strategies, especially those preventing rumination processes. Michel et al [ 57 ] and Althammer et al [ 58 ] have shown that the use of mindfulness as a cognitive–emotional segmentation strategy is beneficial in this context.…”

Acceptance and commitment improve the work–caregiving interface among dementia family caregivers.

“…Rather than reducing distress, acceptance aims to increase an individual’s flexibility in responding to their experiences (Hayes et al, 2012). Organizational psychology researchers reported that mindfulness, which is acquired through the acceptance process (Hayes et al, 2012), can help individuals to psychologically detach from work, focus on their present role without distracting thoughts and emotions, and manage the boundaries between the work and family domains, resulting in decreased WFC (Althammer et al, 2021; Kiburz et al, 2017; Michel et al, 2014; Slutsky et al, 2019). These features of mindfulness can also enhance individuals’ engagement in their present role, resulting in positive evaluation of their ability to balance multiple roles, consequently increasing WFE (Allen & Kiburz, 2012; Althammer et al, 2021; Michel et al, 2014).…”