Physiological Recovery, Psychological Recovery, Restorative Experiences
Conditions
Keywords
Recovery, Nature, Employees, Work stress, Occupational well-being, Virtual Reality
Brief summary
The research examines employees' recovery from work stress during visits in nearby nature and when viewing virtual nature with Virtual Reality (VR) goggles. The research provides information on the physiological and psychological recovery of employees who do remote or hybrid work. Recovery is analysed with qualitative and quantitative methods including Firstbeat Life measurements, surveys and interviews. The results can be used in workplaces to develop operating models to promote well-being in remote and hybrid work. The research generates new understanding on how employees' recovery can be supported by means of virtual nature tourism services.
Detailed description
An intervention study with a cross-over research design will be conducted among a sample of 60 employees who do remote or hybrid work. The intervention phase lasts in total of four weeks. During the first week (control phase), the participants continue their daily routine as normal. During the second week of the intervention, a half of the participants are randomised to visit a nearby natural area after finishing work (exposure to nearby nature). The other half of the participants are randomised to view virtual nature videos with VR goggles after finishing work (exposure to virtual nature). On the third week of the intervention, the participants complete nature exposure the other way around. That is, those participants who took part first in exposure to nearby nature will view virtual nature, and vice versa. On the fourth week of the intervention, the participants take part in a semi-structured focus group interview. Recovering from work in nearby nature and virtual nature is examined through multidisciplinary perspectives of health, well-being, and tourism. The aim of the research is to find new ways of promoting work stress recovery, psychological detachment and restoration among employees when they are making the transition between work time and personal time. These research findings are particularly relevant for fields in which there has been a growing trend for remote or hybrid work. This research is funded by the Finnish Work Environment Fund (Project Number: 220076).
Interventions
BEHAVIORALExposure to nearby nature
Participants spend a minimum of 20 minutes in their favourite place in nearby nature.
BEHAVIORALExposure to virtual nature
Participants spend a minimum of 20 minutes watching virtual nature videos.
Sponsors
JAMK University Of Applied Sciences
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Employees who do remote or hybrid work * Able to communicate adequately in Finnish in order to participate
Exclusion criteria
* No
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Psychological recovery | Three weeks | Recovery Experience Questionnaire (REQ), the scores range from 1 to 5, a higher score refers to better psychological recovery. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Work engagement | Three weeks | Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), the scores range from 1 to 7, a higher score refers to higher work engagement. |
| Burnout | Three weeks | Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT), the scores range from 1 to 5, a higher score refers to higher burnout. |
| Stress recovery | Three weeks | A physiological measure of stress recovery balance, the scores range from 0 to 100, a higher score refers to better physiological stress recovery. |
| Restorative experiences | Three weeks | Restorative Outcome Scale (ROS), the scores range from 1 to 7, a higher score refers to better restoration. |
| Relax-Stress Intensity | Three weeks | A physiological measure of the Relax-Stress Intensity (RSI), the scores range from -100 to 100, a higher score (+/- 100) refers to a stronger reaction. |
| Body resources | Three weeks | A physiological measure of body resources, the scores range from 0 to 100, a higher score refers to higher body resources. |
| Sleep quality | Three weeks | A physiological measure of the restorative effect of sleep, the scores range from 0 to 100, a higher score refers to better recovery during sleep. |
Countries
Finland
Outcome results
None listed