The findings of this recent study are particularly enlightening for employers who are often faced with enhancing work satisfaction and motivation among their employees. Employers frequently allocate substantial resources towards these goals, understanding their critical impact on the organisation’s overall productivity. “These factors are essential for a company’s success,” explains Julia Brailovskaia, a lead researcher in the study. The current research has successfully identified an easily implementable and low-cost method to achieve these aims and simultaneously improve the mental health and work-life balance of employees.
The study’s unique methodology involved meticulously assigning participants from diverse professional backgrounds into four groups, each comprising roughly equal numbers of individuals, to ensure a balanced comparison. The ‘smartphone’ group was instructed to reduce their personal smartphone usage by one hour each day over the course of one week. The ‘sport’ group was tasked with increasing their daily physical activity by thirty minutes. Meanwhile, the ‘combination’ group participated in both reducing smartphone use and increasing physical activity. The control group maintained their usual daily routines without any alterations.
To measure the impact of these interventions, all participants were required to complete detailed online questionnaires at three critical junctures: before starting the interventions, immediately after the interventions concluded, and two weeks after the intervention period had ended. These questionnaires were designed to capture a comprehensive range of well-being indicators related to their professional lives and mental health.
The study outcomes were particularly noteworthy in the smartphone and combination groups. These participants reported significant enhancements in their work satisfaction and motivation. There was also a noticeable improvement in their work-life balance and overall mental health. Moreover, the intervention markedly reduced feelings of work overload and the symptoms associated with problematic smartphone use. Impressively, all the interventions, including those in the sports group, resulted in a general reduction in depressive symptoms and substantially increased the participants’ feelings of control over their own lives.
Julia Brailovskaia optimistically reflects on the implications of these findings, suggesting that “A conscious and controlled reduction of non-work-related screen time, in combination with more physical activity, could markedly improve employees’ work satisfaction and mental health.” She posits that these simple interventions could complement existing employee training programs or serve as stand-alone solutions. These strategies offer a time-efficient, cost-effective, and low-threshold option for companies looking to sustainably invest in their workforce’s well-being.
By providing a clear link between reduced screen time, increased physical activity, and improved employee outcomes, the study offers a valuable blueprint for employers. This approach benefits the workforce and contributes to the organisation’s overall health by fostering a more engaged and motivated team. This research underscores the potential for integrating simple lifestyle changes into the workday to yield significant benefits, making a compelling case for their adoption across various sectors. The potential for these findings to influence future corporate wellness strategies is substantial, providing a practical framework for enhancing employee satisfaction and well-being through relatively minor but impactful adjustments.
More information: Julia Brailovskaia et al, Less smartphone and more physical activity for a better work satisfaction, motivation, work-life balance, and mental health: An experimental intervention study, Acta Psychologica. DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104494
Journal information: Acta Psychologica Provided by Ruhr-University Bochum