Researchers at the University of Queensland (UQ) are seeking people who experience stress at work to join a project exploring strategies for unwinding after hours.
Leader of the School of Psychology team, Stacey Parker said most people had their ways of dealing with the pressures of work, such as a chat over the water cooler, a lunchtime stroll or a 3pm snack.
“There are many ways people relax and unwind after work too, like a trip to the gym, a social call, a TV streaming binge, or an online gaming session or two,” Dr Parker said.
“However, sometimes work can creep into our leisure time.”
She said the team wanted to know if the strategies people were using were worth their time, and if these strategies helped or hindered the ability to stay focused and motivated at work.
“Do they leave people feeling invigorated or relaxed, or do they leave them feeling flat or de-energised?” Dr Parker asked.
Participants must be over the age of 18, employed in one job part-time, full-time, or as a casual, working a relatively standard 9am-to-5pm day, with the ability to complete brief surveys during work and leisure.
Dr Parker said internet access was essential for participation, due to the sampling method used in the study.
“Experience sampling is a novel research method, where we ask very brief questions each hour over the course of one work day,” she said.
“This allows participants to tell us how it really is, as they are experiencing work and leisure.”
She said by doing this, the team aimed to identify and understand the moment-to-moment factors that might effectively, or ineffectively, impact motivation and wellbeing.
Readers interested in joining the project can find out more at this PS News link.
