Recovery from accumulated strain: the role of daily mood and opportunity costs during a vacation

The Role of Subjective Expectations for Exhaustion and Recovery: The Sample Case of Work and Leisure

“…In other words: When people are sufficiently recovered or an activity no longer contributes to recovery, the cost–benefit ratio turns unfavorable, which prompts disengagement from the activity. This model is empirically supported in a series of studies by Cardini and Freund (2020 , 2021 ). Building on the model by Cardini and Freund (2019) , we further elaborate here on the role of subjective expectations for exhaustion and recovery.…”

“…However, resource models have been criticized both on theoretical and empirical grounds (e.g., Carter et al, 2015 ; Inzlicht et al, 2014 ; Navon, 1984 ). Theoretically, it is unclear to which resource these models refer; beyond physical energy (i.e., how many calories walking, running, or swimming a certain distance burn), the concept of energy remains mostly undefined and fuzzy ( Cardini & Freund, 2021 ). Reviewing the empirical literature, D. R. Evans et al (2016) concluded that even after extremely high investment of physical energy, people are typically not anywhere near levels of depletion threatening brain functions and survival.…”

“…According to Cardini and Freund (2019) , exhaustion is a signal to disengage from an activity that does not (or no longer) result in the desired outcomes. When people were asked what exhaustion feels like for them, many listed that they can no longer concentrate on the activity at hand and experience negative mood and a lengthening of time ( Cardini et al, 2018 ; Cardini & Freund, 2019 , 2021 ). These expressions of exhaustion can be conceptualized as indicators of an unfavorable cost-benefit ratio.…”

“… Cardini and Freund (2019) argued that perceived opportunity costs, mood, and time perception determine the degree of perceived exhaustion or recovery. Subsequent research has provided some empirical evidence for these indicators of exhaustion and recovery ( Cardini & Freund, 2020 , 2021 ).…”

Self-rated health (SRH), recovery from work, fatigue, and insomnia among commercial pilots concerning occupational and non-occupational factors

“…Furthermore, recovery is an essential psychological process for detachment from work and preparation for new work challenges. Recovery from work can be affected by psychological demands at work, sleep quality, leisure style ( 33 ), and vacation time ( 34 , 35 ). We have found few studies on the associations between psychosocial working conditions and health among commercial pilots ( 32 , 36 ), and no previous research on recovery from work in this occupational group.…”