Recovery experiences during vacation and their association with job stressors and health

Authors

  • Pascale Hächler Department of Work and Organizational Psychology. Institute of Psychology University of Bern Switzerland
  • Diana Pereira Department of Work and Organizational Psychology. Institute of Psychology University of Bern Switzerland
  • Elfering Achim Department of Work and Organizational Psychology. Institute of Psychology University of Bern Switzerland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24310/espsiescpsi.v10i1.13188

Keywords:

occupational stress, time pressure, psychosomatic complaints, detachment, relaxation

Abstract

Vacations offer opportunities for recovery from work-related stress. However, little is known about the impact of job stressors on recovery experiences during vacation, such as psychological detachment and relaxation. This study investigated detachment and relaxation to mediate the influence of job stressors prior to vacation on recovery during vacation. A total of 136 employees from various occupations completed a questionnaire on their ability to relax and mentally detach from work during a recent vacation. Participants rated perceived time pressure and social exclusion at work prior to their vacation as well as any psychosomatic health complaints or sleep problems during vacation. The results of bootstrap mediation analysis confirmed the mediating role of recovery experiences. The association between job stressors and sleep problems was fully mediated by detachment and relaxation, whereas the association between social exclusion and psychosomatic complaints was fully mediated by relaxation. Furthermore, relaxation partially mediated the association between time pressure and psychosomatic complaints. Not only should the ability of employees to relax and mentally detach be fostered, but job stressors should be reduced in order to allow employees to reach optimal recovery during vacation.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Åkerstedt, T. (2006). Psychosocial stress and impaired sleep. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, 32, 493–501. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.1054

Åkerstedt, T., Fredlund, P., Gillberg, M., & Jansson, B. (2002). Work load and work hours in rela-tion to disturbed sleep and fatigue in a large representative sample. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 53, 585–588. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(02)00447-6

Ancoli-Israel, S., Cole, R., Alessi, C., Chambers, M., Moorcroft, W., & Pollak, C. (2003). The role of actigraphy in the study of sleep and circadian rhythms. Sleep, 26(3), 342–392.

de Bloom, J., Geurts, S., & Kompier, M. (2010). Vacation from work as prototypical recovery opportunity. Gedrag en Organisatie, 23(4), 333–349.

de Bloom, J., Geurts, S. A., & Kompier, M. A. (2012). Effects of short vacations, vacation activities and experiences on employee health and well-being. Stress and Health, 28, 305–318. https://doi. org/10.1002/smi.1434

de Bloom, J., Geurts, S. A., & Kompier, M. A. (2013). Vacation (after-) effects on employee health and well-being, and the role of vacation activities, experiences and sleep. Journal of Happiness Studies, 14, 613–633. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-012-9345-3

de Bloom, J., Geurts, S. A., Sonnentag, S., Taris, T., de Weerth, C., & Kompier, M. A. (2011). How does a vacation from work affect employee health and well-being? Psychology and Health, 26, 1606–1622. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2010.546860

de Bloom, J., Geurts, S. A., Taris, T. W., Sonnentag, S., de Weerth, C., & Kompier, M. A. (2010). Effects of vacation from work on health and well-being: Lots of fun, quickly gone. Work and Stress, 24, 196–216. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2010.493385

de Bloom, J., Kompier, M., Geurts, S. A., de Weerth, C., Taris, T., & Sonnentag, S. (2009). Do we recover from vacation? Meta-analysis of vacation effects on health and well-being. Journal of Occupational Health, 51, 13–25. https://doi.org/10.1539/joh.K8004

Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2007). The job demands–resources model: State of the art. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22, 309–328. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940710733115

Bundesamt für Statistik (2013). Bildungsstand der Bevölkerung. Retrieved from http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/15/17/blank/01.indicator.406101.4086.html?open=9#9

Brosschot, J. F., Pieper, S., & Thayer, J. F. (2005). Expanding stress theory: Prolonged activation and perseverative cognition. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 30, 1043–1049. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2005.04.008

Brosschot, J. F., & van der Doef, M. (2006). Daily worrying and somatic health complaints: Testing the effectiveness of a simple worry reduction intervention. Psychology and Health, 21, 19–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/14768320500105346

ten Brummelhuis, L. L., & Bakker, A. B. (2012). Staying engaged during the week: The effect of off-job activities on next day work engagement. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 17, 445–455. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029213

Demsky, C. A., Ellis, A. M., & Fritz, C. (2014). Shrugging it off: Does psychological detachment from work mediate the relationship between workplace aggression and work-family conflict? Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 19, 195–205. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035448

Derks, D., & Bakker, A. B. (2012). Smartphone use, work–home interference, and burnout: A diary study on the role of recovery. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 63, 411–440. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.2012.00530.x

Derks, D., van Mierlo, H., & Schmitz, E. B. (2014). A diary study on work-related smartphone use, psychological detachment and exhaustion: Examining the role of the perceived segmentation norm. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 19, 74–84. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035076

Eatough, E. M. (2015). How does employee mindfulness reduce psychological distress? Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 8(04), 643-647. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2015.93

Elfering, A., Pereira, D., Grebner, S., & Müller, U. (in press). Lack of detachment and impaired sleep connect perceived unfairness with health complaints: A population-based mediation test. Applied Research in Quality of Life. Online first.

Etzion, D., Eden, D., & Lapidot, Y. (1998). Relief from job stressors and burnout: Reserve service as a respite. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83, 577–585. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.83.4.577

Fredrickson, B. L., Mancuso, R. A., Branigan, C., & Tugade, M. M. (2000). The undoing effect of positive emotions. Motivation and Emotion, 24, 237–258. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010796329158

Frese, M. (1985). Stress at work and psychosomatic complaints: A causal interpretation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 70, 314-328. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.70.2.314

Fritz, C., & Sonnentag, S. (2006). Recovery, well-being, and performance-related outcomes: The role of workload and vacation experiences. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91, 936–945. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.91.4.936

Gemzøe Mikkelsen, E., & Einarsen, S. (2002). Relationships between exposure to bullying at work and psychological and psychosomatic health complaints: The role of state negative affectivity and generalized self–efficacy. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 43, 397–405. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9450.00307

Gerber, J., & Wheeler, L. (2009). On being rejected: A meta-analysis of experimental research on rejection. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4, 468–488. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6924.2009.01158.x

Geurts, S. A. (2014). Recovery from work during off-job time. In G. F. Bauer & O. Hämmig (Eds.), Bridging occupational, organizational and public health (pp. 193–208). Dordrecht: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5640-3_12

Geurts, S. A., & Sonnentag, S. (2006). Recovery as an explanatory mechanism in the relation between acute stress reactions and chronic health impairment. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment, and Health, 32, 482–492. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.1053

Grebner, S., Berlowitz, I., Alvarado, V., & Cassina, M. (2011). Stress-Studie 2010. Stress bei Schweizer Erwerbstätigen. Zusammenhänge zwischen Arbeitsbedingungen, Personenmerkmalen, Befinden und Gesundheit. Bern: Staatssekretariat für Wirtschaft (Seco).

Grebner, S., Semmer, N. K., & Elfering, A. (2005). Working conditions and three types of well-being: A longitudinal study with self-report and rating data. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 10, 31–43. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.10.1.31

Grebner, S., Semmer, N. K., Faso, L. L., Gut, S., Kälin, W., & Elfering, A. (2003). Working conditions, well-being, and job-related attitudes among call centre agents. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 12, 341–365. https://doi.org/10.1080/13594320344000192

Grossman, P., Niemann, L., Schmidt, S., & Walach, H. (2004). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57, 35–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(03)00573-7

Gump, B. B., & Matthews, K. A. (2000). Are vacations good for your health? The 9-year mortality experience after the multiple risk factor intervention trial. Psychosomatic Medicine, 62, 608–612. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-200009000-00003

Hahn, V. C., Binnewies, C., & Haun, S. (2012). The role of partners for employees’ recovery during the weekend. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80, 288–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2011.12.004

Hahn, V. C., Binnewies, C., Sonnentag, S., & Mojza, E. J. (2011). Learning how to recover from job stress: Effects of a recovery training program on recovery, recovery-related self-efficacy, and well-being. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 16, 202–216. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022169

Härmä, M. (2006). Workhours in relation to work stress, recovery and health. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, 32, 502–514. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.1055

Härmä, M., Kompier, M. A., & Vahtera, J. (2006). Work-related stress and health – risks, mechanisms and countermeasures. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, 413–419. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.1047

Hobfoll, S. E. (2001). The influence of culture, community, and the nested-self in the stress pro-cess: Advancing conservation of resources theory. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 50, 337–421. https://doi.org/10.1111/1464-0597.00062

Höge, T. (2009). When work strain transcends psychological boundaries: An inquiry into the relationship between time pressure, irritation, work–family conflict and psychosomatic complaints. Stress and Health, 25, 41–51. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.1226

Jacobson, E. (2011). Entspannung als Therapie: Progressive Relaxation in Theorie und Praxis. Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10, 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bpg016

Kinnunen, U., Feldt, T., Siltaloppi, M., & Sonnentag, S. (2011). Job demands–resources model in the context of recovery: Testing recovery experiences as mediators. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 20, 805–832. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2010.524411

Kinnunen, U., Mauno, S., & Siltaloppi, M. (2010). Job insecurity, recovery and well-being at work: Recovery experiences as moderators. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 31, 179–194. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831X09358366

Kivimäki, M., Virtanen, M., Elovainio, M., Kouvonen, A., Väänänen, A., & Vahtera, J. (2006). Work stress in the etiology of coronary heart disease—a meta-analysis. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, 431–442. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.1049

Klahr, R., Higton, J., & Harris, T. (2012). Erhebung 2012 über Sicherheit und Gesundheit am Arbeitsplatz in der Schweiz. Bern: Staatssekretariat für Wirtschaft (Seco).

Klatt, M. D., Buckworth, J., & Malarkey, W. B. (2008). Effects of low-dose mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR-ld) on working adults. Health Education and Behavior, 36, 601–614. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198108317627

Korstanje, M. E. (2010). The power of projective drawnings: A new method for researching tourist experience. e-Review of Tourism Research, 8(5), 85-101.

Korstanje, M. E. (2016). Divorcing after Holidays: From Sacredness to Post-Vacation Blues Syndrome. In N. Pappas, & I. Bregoli (Eds.), Global Dynamics in Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality (pp.70-84). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-0201-2.ch005

Korstanje, M., & Busby, G. (2010). Understanding the Bible as the roots of physical displacement: the origin of tourism. E-Review of Tourism Research, 8(3), 95-111.

Krippendorf, Jost. (1987) The Holiday Makers (pp. xiii-xxii). Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Kühnel, J., & Sonnentag, S. (2011). How long do you benefit from vacation? A closer look at the fade-out of vacation effects. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32, 125–143. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.699

Leary, M. R., Tambor, E. S., Terdal, S. K., & Downs, D. L. (1995). Self-esteem as an interpersonal monitor: The sociometer hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68, 518–530. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.68.3.518

McCallie, M. S., Blum, C. M., & Hood, C. J. (2006). Progressive muscle relaxation. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 13, 51–66. https://doi.org/10.1300/J137v13n03_04

McEwen, B. S. (1998). Stress, adaptation, and disease: Allostasis and allostatic load. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 840, 33–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998. tb09546.x

Meijman, T. F., & Mulder, G. (1998). Psychological aspects of workload. In P. J. D. Drenth, H. Thierry, & C. J. D. Wolff (Eds.), Handbook of work and organizational psychology (pp. 5–33). East Sussex: Psychology Press Ltd.

Mohr, G. (1986). Die Erfassung psychischer Befindensbeeinträchtigungen bei Industriearbeitern. Frankfurt am Main: Lang.

Muraven, M., & Baumeister, R. F. (2000). Self-regulation and depletion of limited resources: Does self-control resemble a muscle? Psychological Bulletin, 126, 247–259. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.126.2.247

Nixon, A. E., Mazzola, J. J., Bauer, J., Krueger, J. R., & Spector, P. E. (2011). Can work make you sick? A meta-analysis of the relationships between job stressors and physical symptoms. Work and Stress, 25, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2011.569175

Okun, M. L., Kravitz, H. M., Sowers, M. F., Moul, D. E., Buysse, D. J., & Hall, M. (2009). Psychometric evaluation of the Insomnia Symptom Questionnaire: a self-report measure to identify chronic insomnia. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 5(1), 41–51.

Park, Y., Fritz, C., & Jex, S. M. (2011). Relationships between work-home segmentation and psychological detachment from work: The role of communication technology use at home. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 16, 457–467. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023594

Pereira, D., & Elfering, A. (2014a). Social stressors at work and sleep during weekends: The mediating role of psychological detachment. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 19, 85–95. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034928

Pereira, D., & Elfering, A. (2014b). Social stressors at work, sleep quality and psychosomatic health complaints – A longitudinal ambulatory field study. Stress and Health, 30, 43–52. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2494

Pereira, D., Meier, L. L., & Elfering, A. (2013). Short-term effects of social exclusion at work and worries on sleep. Stress and Health, 29, 240–252. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2461

Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40, 879–891. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.40.3.879

Ramsey, A. T., & Jones, E. E. (2015). Minding the interpersonal gap: Mindfulness-based interventions in the prevention of ostracism. Consciousness and Cognition, 31, 24–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2014.10.003

Robinson, S. L., O’Reilly, J., & Wang, W. (2013). Invisible at work: An integrated model of workplace ostracism. Journal of Management, 39, 203–231. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206312466141

Safstrom, M., & Hartig, T. (2013). Psychological detachment in the relationship between job stressors and strain. Behavioral Sciences, 3, 418–433. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs3030418

Scott, K. D. (2007). The development and test of an exchange-based model of interpersonal workplace exclusion (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations (Paper 534).

Scott, K. D., Restubog, S. L. D., & Zagenczyk, T. J. (2013). A social exchange-based model of the antecedents of workplace exclusion. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98, 37–48. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030135

Semmer, N.K., Kälin, W., & Elfering, A. (2008). When time pressure really hurts: The case of performance impairment. 2008 conference of the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology, Valencia, Spain, 12-14 November 2008.

Semmer, N. K., Grebner, S., & Elfering, A. (2004). Beyond self-report: Using observational, physiological, and event-based measures in research on occupational stress. In P. L. Perrewé & D. C. Ganster (Eds.), Emotional and physiological processes and positive intervention strategies. Research in Occupational Stress and Well-being, Vol. 3. (pp. 205–263). Amsterdam: JAI. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1479-3555(03)03006-3

Semmer, N. K., & Kälin, W. (1999). Skala „Qualitätsbeeinträchtigung durch Zeitdruck“ (unpublished questionnaire). Bern: Universität, Institut für Psychologie.

Semmer, N. K., & Kottwitz, M. U. (2011). Auswirkungen von Freizeit auf Gesundheit und Produktivität – Gutachten zuhanden des Bundesamtes für Justiz. Retrieved from Bundesamt für Justiz: www.bj.admin.ch/dam/data/bj/wirtschaft/gesetzgebung/archiv/ferieninitiative/gutachten-sem-mer-d.pdf

Siltaloppi, M., Kinnunen, U., & Feldt, T. (2009). Recovery experiences as moderators between psychological work characteristics and occupational well-being. Work and Stress, 23, 330–348. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678370903415572

Sluiter, J. K., De Croon, E. M., Meijman, T. F., & Frings-Dresen, M. H. W. (2003). Need for recovery from work related fatigue and its role in the development and prediction of subjective health complaints. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 60, i62–i70. https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.60.suppl_1.i62

Sluiter, J. K., Frings-Dresen, M. H. W., van der Beek, A. J., & Meijman, T. F. (2001). The relation between work-induced neuroendocrine reactivity and recovery, subjective need for recovery, and health status. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 50, 29–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(00)00213-0

Sonnentag, S. (2012). Psychological detachment from work during leisure time: The benefits of mentally disengaging from work. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 21, 114–118. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721411434979

Sonnentag, S., & Bayer, U.-V. (2005). Switching off mentally: Predictors and consequences of psychological detachment from work during off-job time. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 10, 393–414. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.10.4.393

Sonnentag, S., & Fritz, C. (2007). The recovery experience questionnaire: Development and validation of a measure assessing recuperation and unwinding at work. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 12, 204–221. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.12.3.204

Sonnentag, S., & Fritz, C. (2014). Recovery from job stress: The stressor-detachment model as an integrative framework. Journal of Organizational Behavior. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1924

Sonnentag, S., & Jelden, S. (2009). Job stressors and the pursuit of sport activities: A day-level perspective. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 14, 165–https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014953181.

Sonnentag, S., & Kruel, U. (2006). Psychological detachment from work during off-job time: The role of job stressors, job involvement, and recovery-related self-efficacy. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 15, 197–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/13594320500513939

Sonnentag, S., Kuttler, I., & Fritz, C. (2010). Job stressors, emotional exhaustion, and need for recovery: A multi-source study on the benefits of psychological detachment. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 76, 355–365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2009.06.005

Sonnentag, S., & Zijlstra, F. R. (2006). Job characteristics and off-job activities as predictors of need for recovery, well-being, and fatigue. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91, 330–350. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.91.2.330

Sparks, K., Cooper, C., Fried, Y., & Shirom, A. (1997). The effects of hours of work on health: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 70, 391-408. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8325.1997.tb00656.x

Stansfeld, S., & Candy, B. (2006). Psychosocial work environment and mental health: A meta-analytic review. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, 443–462. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.1050

Strauss-Blasche, G., Ekmekcioglu, C. & Marktl, W. (2000). Does vacation enable recuperation?Changes in well-being associated with time away from work. Occupational Medicine, 50, 167–172. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/50.3.167

Strauss-Blasche, G., Ekmekcioglu, C. & Marktl, W. (2002). Moderating effects of vacation on reactions to work and domestic stress. Leisure Sciences, 24, 237–249. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400252900176

Ursin, H., & Eriksen, H. R. (2004). The cognitive activation theory of stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 29, 567–592. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-4530(03)00091-X

Volmer, J., Binnewies, C., Sonnentag, S., & Niessen, C. (2012). Do social conflicts with customers at work encroach upon our private lives? A diary study. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 17, 304–315. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028454

Westman, M., & Etzion, D. (2001). The impact of vacation and job stress on burnout and absenteeism. Psychology & Health, 16, 595–606. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870440108405529

Zapf, D., & Frese, M. (1991). Soziale Stressoren am Arbeitsplatz. In S. Greif, E. Bamberg, & N. Semmer (Eds.), Psychischer Stress am Arbeitsplatz (pp. 168-184). Göttingen: Hogrefe.

Published

2017-05-01

How to Cite

Hächler, P., Pereira, D., & Achim, E. (2017). Recovery experiences during vacation and their association with job stressors and health. Escritos De Psicología - Psychological Writings, 10(1), 13–30. https://doi.org/10.24310/espsiescpsi.v10i1.13188

Issue

Section

Research Reports