You can’t avoid going to work, but “replugging” makes the day easier

We all might benefit from “mentally reattaching” to work, according to a new study published in Journal of Management. Okay, I don’t love all of those words together. Mentally reattaching to work sounds like something I absolutely do not want to do. Despite my skepticism, replugging into work in the morning might help you become more engaged at work.

Co-authored by a Portland State University professor (and my boss, probably), the small study surveyed 151 people across a variety of industries. People who take a few minutes to replug into work in the morning created a more positive work experience, the study concluded. What exactly does that entail? It could be anything from going through your to-do list while in line for coffee to planning out specific tasks that need to get done while you’re in the shower, says Charlotte Fritz, co-author of the study, the aforementioned PSU professor, and a person I believe maybe never experienced anxiety because thinking about work while doing mundane tasks is the story of my life. I kid about that last part, because a key component of replugging into work is that you first have to unplug from it.

A key component of replugging into work is that you first have to unplug from it.

“We know that detachment from work during non-work hours is important because it creates positive outcomes like higher life satisfaction and lower burnout,” says Fritz. On the flip side, reattaching to work (blah) creates a more positive, engaging work experience because, as Fritz says, you can “activate work-related goals.”

“Engagement is a sense of energy, sense of feeling absorbed, feeling dedicated to work, and those are all very important motivational experiences that translate to positive outcomes for both employees and organizations,” says Fritz. “They’re more satisfied with work, more committed to work, enjoy work tasks more, perform better, and help out more with extra tasks.”

If you’re like me and never, ever stop thinking about work, maybe try to not? Here are some tips.