RESEARCH_FILE
Sabine Sonnentag
University of Mannheim
Known for:Occupational health research on work recovery — especially the role of psychological detachment from work as a predictor of sustained performance and well-being
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“If they knew the real numbers, they'd all leave”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“My team can handle the real numbers.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Open a blank note and type the three numbers you have been paraphrasing most often, then add one neutral label beside each, such as “cash,” “pipeline,” or “headcount.” Save it and close the note without editing it.
Key findings
- 2003
In longitudinal diary research on 147 employees, Sonnentag found that psychological detachment from work during off-job time — mentally disengaging, not just physically leaving — predicted next-day proactive behavior and well-being, establishing recovery as a performance input, not a performance cost. Recovery, Work Engagement, and Proactive Behavior: A New Look at the Interface Between Nonwork and Work ↗
- 2007
With Charlotte Fritz, Sonnentag validated the Recovery Experience Questionnaire across samples, identifying psychological detachment, relaxation, mastery, and control as four distinct recovery mechanisms — with detachment as the strongest single predictor of recovery quality, sustained performance, and health outcomes. The Recovery Experience Questionnaire: Development and Validation of a Measure for Assessing Recuperation and Unwinding From Work ↗