Nearly 75 percent of employees admit that they cannot stop thinking about work after hours. But a new study suggests there may be a simple way to break the cycle: spend evenings reflecting on your personal goals, instead of unfinished work tasks.
Researchers at the University at Buffalo (UB) School of Management found that focusing on nonwork goals in the evening can reduce stress and improve well-being.
“Many workers admit to experiencing automatic, intrusive thoughts during leisure time as their biggest pain point as an employee,” paper author Min-Hsuan Tu, an associate professor of organization and human resources, said in a statement.
“When employees can’t switch off, the stress of the workday bleeds into their evenings, drains their energy, strains relationships and even affects their health.”
Researchers collected data from more than 1,200 people, including 1,085 full-time employees and 137 part-time MBA students, across three studies.
Participants were asked to spent time in their evenings reflecting on their personal goals—such as around fitness, hobbies or family time—and plan how to achieve them.
Researchers then tracked the effect of this exercise on rumination, exhaustion and overall well-being.
For most participants, the strategy worked. Shifting mental focus away from the office helped them detach from work, improved energy and mood, and even supported healthier social and physiological outcomes.
A picture of a woman sitting at a computer late at night.
A picture of a woman sitting at a computer late at night.
Daniel de la Hoz/Getty Images
The workaholic exception
But there was one group who benefited far less: workaholics.
To identify workaholics, the researchers used established psychological surveys that measure both excessive and compulsive working tendencies.
These scales ask participants to rate statements such as how often they work longer than intended or feel driven to keep working even when they try to stop.
Those who scored higher on the survey for workaholic tendencies found that trying to step away in the evening to reflect personal goals was not as effective.
“Workaholics have a deep attachment to work goals that makes it harder for them to mentally step away, limiting the intervention’s effectiveness and flagging these employees as a priority group for tailored recovery support,” Tu said.
Why it matters
Prior research has shown that workaholism and chronic overwork are more than lifestyle choices—they can actively harm the brain and body.
Experts in psychiatry and workplace wellness previously told Newsweek that long hours are linked to sleep disruption, impaired executive function and even structural changes in the brain.
Studies have found that those working upward of 52 hours a week experience declines in processing speed, memory consolidation and emotional regulation.
The findings point to a practical evening ritual: reflecting on personal goals after hours can help workers curb intrusive thoughts and improve life beyond the office.
The study has been accepted for publication in Journal of Applied Psychology.
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