Portland State Magazine Spring 2019

13 months, according to Fritz, allow employees to experience the positive effects throughout the year, and work is less likely to pile up during shorter sojourns. Having worked hard before she left for Morocco, Wojciechowski faced a manageable workload when she returned and was still feeling the vacation afterglow when she left for Hawaii a few weeks later. Preventing burnout without leaving home Not everyone has unlimited paid time off, and twice-yearly vacations can only go so far in improving employees’ well-being and productiv- ity. So how can employees reduce burnout and exhaustion between vacations? Fritz says that one of her own biggest takeaways from her re- search is the importance of daily psychological detachment from work—in other words, leaving work at work. Fritz, like Wojciech- owski, tries not to answer work-related messages after hours, and her colleagues know to only call or text her in an emergency. She also says that she and her spouse have become more careful with how they talk to each other about work. “We aren’t coming home and venting about the not-so-good experiences, we’re just letting them be,” she says. “We’re trying to focus more on the positives.” Weekends are also important in the fight against burnout. The same principles that apply to a good vacation also apply to a refreshing weekend. Employees should pursue low-effort relaxation as well as look for opportunities to learn something new and chal- lenge themselves. Even if employees can’t make it to Mexico for a two-week get- away, it’s possible for them to improve work outcomes and pre- vent burnout by bringing a little bit of a vacation mindset into their everyday lives. At the end of the work day, they should be mindful of leaving work obligations behind and spend a few minutes during their commute home reflecting on the positive aspects of their job. And perhaps after engaging in a quick mastery experience, employees should find a place to sit in the sun with a magazine and a margarita, knowing that somewhere halfway across the world, their CEO is doing the same.  Madison Schultz is a graduate assistant in the Office of University Communications. Employees at Vacasa have many choices for work and break spaces in their Portland offices, including a rooftop deck. Tips for Managers 1. Lead by example: If a manager works long hours, an- swers emails at 10 p.m., and never takes a day off, employees might think they need to do the same in order to advance in the company. Managers should model good psychological detachment behaviors for their employees to emulate instead. 2. Make vacations company policy: Insist vacation days be used as vacation days rather than allowing employ- ees to cash them out.Vacation days should expire instead of indefinitely rolling over to encourage employees to use them. 3. Put employees at ease: Employees should understand that vacations are part of a healthy work life, and that taking time off will not negatively affect their chances for a promo- tion or their job security. 4. Don’t expect employees to be available 24/7: If round-the-clock availability or periods of being on-call aren’t part of an employee’s job description, managers shouldn’t expect them to be checking work messages outside of normal work hours. 5. Allow flexible scheduling: Flexible scheduling, such as allowing employees to work four 10-hour days or work remotely, makes it easier for employees to engage in recov- ery behaviors. Tips for Employees 1. Don’t ruminate on the negatives: Rather than coming home and venting to your partner, roommate or pet about the bad parts of your day, let go of negative work experiences and choose to focus on the positive experiences. 2. Leave work at work: If possible, turn off email and messaging notifications for work-related accounts, and don’t be tempted to check messages during non-work hours. 3. Relax: Engaging in low-stress activities is key to feeling recharged and refreshed the next day. Read a book, take the dog for a walk, or spend some time with friends. 4. Challenge yourself: Participate in activities that contribute to a sense of mastery.This could be as simple as engaging in challenging exercise or learning a new hobby— anything works, as long as it still evokes positive feelings. 5. Use your vacation days: Don’t let vacation days go to waste! Rather than taking one big vacation, Fritz recom- mends taking a few smaller vacations throughout the year to experience its positive effects more frequently. Fritz suggests a combination of long weekends (for example, taking off Friday and Monday) and at least one longer trip.“Seven to 10 days is a really nice chunk of time,” Fritz says.