Let's take a break

Student: Polly Gibbons

Organisation: Workplace Vitality Hub

Coach: Martin van Bendegom

Research mental rest at the WPVH

The research focused on the challenges employees at WPVH face in achieving mental rest in the workplace. Mental rest includes psychological detachment and relaxation, both crucial for recovering from work-related stress. Exploratory discussions revealed that employees struggle to find rest due to high workloads, performance pressure, and a distracting work environment.

To develop effective interventions, 10 semi- structured interviews were conducted with juniors and supervisors. All interviews were 45 mins – an hour long.

Results

High autonomy without clear structure, mental unrest, social norms, and workload hinder breaks. Despite awareness of its importance, many feel guilty or pressured to keep working.

Intervention

Encourage employees to leave their desks for breaks by placing visible nudges with social norms. Influence break-related social norms using descriptive and injunctive social norm nudges. Use role models like team leaders and experts to promote break-behavior.