02/08/2016 BBCCapitalThisiswhyyoucantswitchoffattheweekend

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Cant help checking emails late on a Saturday night? That could be a

personality problem but there are ways to keep these habits in check.

ByZariaGorvett
30July2016

Theyclockoffat9pmonaFridaybuttheirlastemailisloggedat3am.Theytakeconference
callsonholiday,wakeupincoldsweatsoverloomingdeadlineseventheirsleeptalkis
pepperedwithbusinessjargon.ByMondaymorning,theylookliketheyvespentthewhole
weekendhunchedovertheirlaptop,wiredoncoffee.Itshardtobelievetheyeverlefttheoffice.

Whyisitthatsomepeoplejustcantrelaxattheweekend?

"
Just53%ofworkerscomebackfeelingrestedaftertheyvebeen
onholiday

Acrosstheglobe,aheadymixofindividualambitions,brutalorganisationalculturesandthe
technologytomakeworkaccessible24hoursadayiscontributingtoaspirallingcrisisofstress.
TheAmericanInstituteofStressestimatesjobstresscoststheUSeconomyabout$300
billioninlostproductivityeveryyear.AccordingtoresearchbyonlinetravelcompanyExpedia,
just53%ofworkerscomebackfeelingrestedaftertheyvebeenonholiday.

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Canthelpspendingtheweekendhunchedoveryourlaptop?Perhapsyouneedachangeofmindset
(Credit:iStock)

IntheUKtheresSaturdaysyndrome,themysterioustendencyofworkerstofallillintheirfree
timethoughttobetheresultofstresswithdrawal.IntheUStheresthe60hourworkingweek
ahabitknowntodoubletheriskofaheartattack.InJapantheyveevencoinedawordforthe
problemkaroshi,ordeathbyburnout.

ForordinaryofficeworkerslikeSamanthaKing,aprojectmanagerinthefinancialservices
industryinLondon,eventheactofkickingbackhasbecomestressful.Ifyoudonthavea
FacebookstatusorInstagramposthashtagdoingthis,hashtagdoingthatifyoustayaway
fromsocialmediaforhalfaday,peoplearelikeareyouOK?

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Onestudyfoundjustoverhalfofworkersreturnfromholidayfeelingrested(Credit:iStock)

ButforeverymoaningcolleaguestrugglingthroughMonday,theresthehighpoweredhotshot
whobreezesinlookingunreasonablyfreshevenwithamuchbiggerworkload.Whyisitthat,
whilesomepeoplegetahead,othersgetsick?

"
Whenyoubringworkrelatedstresshomewithyou,youre
keepingthatphysiologicalresponseactivated

Whenyoubringworkrelatedstresshomewithyou,yourekeepingthatphysiologicalresponse
activated.Ifthatcontinueswell,itsnotgoingtobegoodforyou,saysJenniferRagsdale,a
psychologistattheUniversityofTulsa,Oklahoma.

Foryears,researchhascomparedtherelativevirtuesofweekendsspentcatchinguponwork
tothosespentlyinginadarkenedroomorgoingsailing.Butthismightbemissingthepoint,
saysRagsdale.Twopeopleexperiencingthesamething,theyaregoingtoreacttoitin
differentways.

Bouncingback

ThesubjectofbouncingbackfromstressfirstpiquedRagsdalesinterestbackin2011,when
shenoticedtherecoverygapamongherfriendsandshesbeenstrivingtogettothebottom
ofiteversince.

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Forherstudy,183workersfromvariousindustriesrespondedtoonlinesurveysonaSunday
eveningdetailinghowtheydspenttheirweekendsandhowtheyfeltasaresult.Activities
werecategorisedintoeitherloweffort(takingashower)orworkrelated(personalpaperwork,
replyingtoemails).

Next,thesameworkersweretestedtodeterminetheiremotionaldisposition.Theyweregivena
listofpositive(enthusiastic,interested)andnegative(distressed,upset)feelings,andaskedto
reporthowtheydusuallyfeel.

"
Peoplewithatendencytoseetheworstinasituationtendedto
finditdifficulttounwind,whatevertheydid

Asyoudexpect,thegroupwithapositiveoutlookfounditeasiertodetachfromworkstresses.
Thosewithhighlevelsofnegativeeffecti.e.peoplewithatendencytofeelangryand
frustratedandseetheworstinasituationtendedtofinditdifficulttounwind,whateverthey
didevenmindlessactivitieslikewatchingTVdidnttaketheirmindsoffwork,whilepreparingfor
theweekendaheadonlymadethemfeelmoreresentful.

Ifyoutendtofeelangryorfrustrated,evenmindlessweekendactivitieslikewatchingTVmightnottake
yourmindoffwork(Credit:iStock)

Butitsabitmorecomplicatedthanthatbecausenoteveryonesitsperfectlywithinonecategory
ortheother.Thosewhoscoredthehighestonpositivetraitsstruggledthemostwithmastery
theabilitytoviewdifficulttasksassomethingtobemasteredratherthansomethingtobe

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avoidediftheywerealsopronetowallowing.Ragsdaleputsthisdowntoourinnatenegativity
bias:allthingsbeingequal,humanscanthelpdevotingmoreattentiontoexperienceswhich
arebleakandunpleasant.

Weallevaluatethesituationsweencounterverydifferently.Theresnoonesizefitsallwayto
dealwithstress,saysRagsdale.

AccordingtobusinesspsychologistJaneClarke,forsomepeople,evenattemptingtorelaxcan
becounterproductive.Knowingtheyhaventopenedthepostfortwoweeksandtheyhavea
lotofworktodo,itwouldbemorestressfulforthemtorelax.

Somepeopleneedtogetoutandabouttorelax(Credit:Alamy)

ThisissomethingCorrineMills,acareercoachbasedinLondon,canalsorelateto.Some
peoplearentverygoodatsittingdowninadarkenedroomtheyneedtodosomethingactive.
Millsrecommendstakingupahobbysuchasyoga,goingforarun,orsimplymakingthetimeto
visittheparkanythingthatwilltakeyourmindoffworkforafewminutes.

Ifyouareoneofthesepeoplewithhighnegativeeffecttendencieswhocantunwindonthe
weekends,therearewaystochangeyourmindset.Sinceourexperienceswithrecoveryare
downtoattitude,notjustactivity,therearewaystosimplychangethewayyouthink.

Ragsdalesuggestslearninghowtoreframeyourthoughtspositivelyactivelytryingtoseethe
positiveintheirjobsratherthanruminatingonthebad.Severalstudieshavefoundthat
adoptingthisattitudecanreducetheriskofburnoutandfostergreaterinitiative,creativityand
cooperationafterasixmonthperiod.

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Soifyousucceedinchangingyourmindsetandconfineweekendstresstothehistorybooks,
soonyourgreatestconcernmightbewhattodowithallyourfreetime.Justdontforgettoturn
uptoworkonMonday.

TocommentonthisstoryoranythingelseyouhaveseenonBBCCapital,headoverto
ourFacebookpageormessageusonTwitter.

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