Abstract
Sonnentag and Fritz review the stressor-detachment model — psychological detachment (mentally disengaging from job thoughts during nonwork time) mediates and moderates how workload and stressors translate into burnout and poor well-being.
Sonnentag, S., & Fritz, C. (2015). Journal of Organizational Behavior, 36(S1), S72–S103. DOI
Start here
Read Psychological Detachment — detachment is the off-hours variable that turns time away from desk into actual recovery.
Key findings
- Psychological detachment — Mentally switching off job demands during nonwork time — not the same as physical leave alone.
- Stressor–strain mediation — Low detachment after high stressors predicts strain — rumination blocks recovery even when hours increase.
- Weekly energy budget — Recovery slots fail when the job still runs in your head — budget the mind, not only the calendar.
- Moderation effects — Detachment buffers high workload better when practiced reliably — episodic vacation is not enough.
Limits
Work psychology review — not a clinical burnout protocol. Phone boundaries help but do not replace sleep, movement, or relational repair. Club twin: design Reward system with recovery system so effort does not empty the tank.