Nudge · 2-minute read
People who mentally switch off from work in the evening come back with more energy and less exhaustion — even with the same workload.
Research on recovery experiences consistently finds that psychological detachment — genuinely not thinking about work after hours — predicts better energy and mood the next day.
Without it, people start each morning slightly more depleted than the last. Leaders set the norm: if the boss sends messages at 10pm, the team learns that switching off is optional.
The research: Sonnentag & Fritz (2007), Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.
Adapted from Nudges at Work by Tareef Jafferi, shared in partnership with Happily.ai.
Before signing off, everyone writes one line per open task: the next action, when, and where — so their minds can switch off.
A daily shared coffee break where the whole team stops working together — no laptops, no agenda.
Protect one day a week from internal meetings so everyone gets uninterrupted time for deep work.