Why We Sometimes Struggle to Recover from Stress at Work

What is it about?

This study explores how people adapt—or fail to adapt—to emotional exhaustion caused by time pressure at work. We followed 252 employees over 8 weeks, asking them weekly about their experiences of time pressure and exhaustion. We found that, while employees usually bounce back from stress over time, this natural recovery is hindered when time pressure is high. In fact, time pressure and exhaustion can reinforce each other: feeling emotionally drained can make people feel more time-pressured the next week, and vice versa. The study highlights how workplace stressors can disrupt recovery processes and contribute to longer-term strain, with important implications for employee well-being.

Featured Image

Photo by Jonathan Sebastiao on Unsplash

Photo by Jonathan Sebastiao on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Understanding how and when employees recover from stress is essential for designing healthier work environments. This research shows that time pressure doesn’t just cause exhaustion—it also slows down recovery from it. By identifying these feedback loops, organizations and managers can better support their teams, prevent burnout, and promote long-term resilience. It also opens the door for targeted interventions that help employees regain their emotional balance more effectively.

Perspectives

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This study is especially meaningful to me because it bridges two key interests in my research: how employees deal with everyday work stressors and how resilience unfolds over time. We often assume that people just 'bounce back' from stress, but this paper shows that the process is more fragile—particularly when time pressure persists. Understanding these dynamics helps us not only to describe strain but to actually intervene more effectively. It underscores the need for organizations to not just reduce stressors but to actively support recovery and adaptation.

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