“Research has shown that constant connection to work when you’re supposed to be taking time off can actually cause musculoskeletal, psychological, gastro-intestinal and cardiovascular problems,” she adds. “Other studies suggest that the inability tocould cause workers to experience poor recovery from work , increased work-life interference, higher levels of burnout, chronic fatigue and increased health impairments.
But even after finally taking a sick day or reaching the burnout stage, many people struggle to settle into a true state of recovery even when they’re at home. She says, “It took a few weeks before they could reconcile not checking emails or responding to text messages from co-workers without feeling guilt.”The first step goes without saying: pick up the phone and call in sick.
How can you implement the characteristics of control, mastery, psychological detachment and relaxation to ensure proper recovery? “Mastery,” according to Kent, “involves improving or learning a skill; going back to my guitar example, I had to refresh my knowledge of chords and then I learned new techniques as I practiced more regularly.”or a non-fiction book. Try to learn something new that has nothing to do with work.