Happy, healthy, and productive: The role of detachment from work during nonwork time.

Abstract

Mentally distancing oneself from work during nonwork time can help restore resources lost because of work demands. In this study, we examined possible outcomes of such psychological detachment from work, specifically well-being and job performance. Although employees may need to mentally detach from work to restore their well-being, high levels of detachment may require a longer time to get back into "working mode," which may be negatively associated with job performance. Our results indicate that higher levels of self-reported detachment were associated with higher levels of significant other-reported life satisfaction as well as lower levels of emotional exhaustion. In addition, we found curvilinear relationships between psychological detachment and coworker reported job performance (task performance and proactive behavior). Thus, although high psychological detachment may enhance employee well-being, it seems that medium levels of detachment are most beneficial for job performance.

The power of presence: The role of mindfulness at work for daily levels and change trajectories of psychological detachment and sleep quality.

“…In line with previous research (Fritz et al, 2010;Sonnentag, 2003), we controlled for work demands that were negatively related to psychological detachment. Intercepts indicate the mean sleep quality and psychological detachment level on a Monday.…”

“…Recovery research has revealed that work characteristics like workload or time pressure have an effect on an individual's sense of well-being before going to sleep and on other recovery-related variables (Sonnentag, 2001;Sonnentag & Zijlstra, 2006). Researchers have therefore frequently controlled for work characteristics when investigating recoveryrelated variables like psychological detachment (e.g., Fritz et al, 2010;Sonnentag, 2003). In order to be able to control for potential confounding effects, we therefore chose to control for workload and time pressure with a German translation of the Questionnaire on the Experience and Evaluation of Work (VBBA; van Veldhoven & Meijman, 1994; see also Bakker, Veldhoven, & Xanthooulou, 2010).…”

Divergent effects of detachment from work: a day-level study on employee creativity

“…Although research on recovering from job stress during non-work time extensively demonstrated the positive effect of disengaging from work on health and well-being (e.g., Sonnentag, Binnewies, & Mojza, 2010), recent studies suggest that the link between detachment from work and performance outcomes, such as employee creativity, may not be that straightforward (e.g., Binnewies, Sonnentag, & Mojza, 2009;De Jonge, Spoor, Sonnentag, Dormann, & Van den Tooren, 2012;Fritz, Yankelevich, Zarubin, & Barger, 2010).…”

“…In other words, detachment from work provides employees an opportunity to reduce strain, by recovering resources that were lost due to coping with job demands (cf. Fritz et al, 2010). However, distancing oneself from work might also impede one's reflection on work-related issues during nonwork time, thereby blocking employees' creative processes and opportunities to deal with these issues (cf.…”

“…Generally speaking, detachment can help the restoration of individual resources that were lost due to job demands (cf. Fritz et al, 2010).…”