Leisure activity buffers work stress

Posted by Ricki Sharpe on August 28, 2007  
Filed Under Stress

Further evidence that what you do outside of work affects how you cope with work. If you go home after work and hit the bottle, nothing is achieved. But, if you engage in a leisure activity, such as a hobby or sport, then you are better able to cope with the stress of work.

In this study, Winwood, Bakker, Arnold & Winefield (2007) investigated the extent to which common leisure time behaviours that generate positive feelings of fulfilment and personal reward, are significant in alleviating work-induced stress between successive work periods.

The results showed that non-work-time behaviours play a significant role in mediating the effects of work strain. Respondents reporting higher levels of active leisure activities, exercise, and creative (hobby) and social activity, reported significantly better sleep, recovery between work periods, and lower chronic fatigue symptomatology.

Note, that it is not just any activity. The activity has to generate positive feelings of fulfilment and personal reward.

Consistent recovery from work strain between work periods may represent a crucial factor in avoiding work-related poor health outcomes, which can be particularly relevant to workers in inherently stressful occupations.

Related Article:

Unwind in a museum

Reference:

Winwood, P. C., Bakker, A. B. & Winefield, A. H. 2007. An Investigation of the Role of Non-Work-Time Behaviour in Buffering the Effects of Work Strain. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine. 49, 862-871.


Print This Post Print This Post

Similar Posts

Comments

Leave a Reply