FACTS — REST, RECOVERY & SWITCHING OFF FROM WORK
“Rest outside working hours matters too.”
Workplace wellbeing does not end when someone finishes their shift. The body and brain need opportunities to recover from concentration, decision-making, physical activity, social interaction, sensory demands and emotional pressureexperienced during the working day.
Regularly working beyond contracted hours — or continuing to think about, check or respond to work — can reduce the time available for genuine recovery.
Being away from work is not always the same as switching off
Someone may have finished work but still be:
- Checking emails or work messages.
- Thinking repeatedly about unfinished tasks.
- Worrying about the following day.
- Replaying difficult conversations.
- Planning work during personal time.
- Feeling they need to remain available.
- Completing additional work in the evening.
- Struggling to mentally transition from “work mode” to home life.
This can mean the nervous system has less opportunity to settle and recover.
Why does recovery matter?
Adequate rest can support concentration, emotional regulation, memory, physical recovery, sleep and energy.
Without enough recovery, fatigue can gradually accumulate. Someone may begin the next working day already feeling depleted rather than restored.
Over time, insufficient recovery alongside prolonged workplace demands can contribute to chronic stress, exhaustion and burnout.
Switching off can look different for everyone
Recovery does not have to mean doing nothing.
For one person it might involve quiet time; for another it could be exercise, spending time outdoors, gaming, creative activities, seeing friends, listening to music or simply having time without expectations.
The important question is:
“Does this give me an opportunity to recover from the demands of my day?”
Workplaces have a role too
Employees cannot always create healthy boundaries on their own.
Workplace culture can influence whether people feel expected to answer messages outside working hours, regularly work late, skip breaks or remain constantly available.
Managers can support healthier boundaries by respecting non-working time, setting realistic workloads, modelling appropriate working hours and avoiding unnecessary out-of-hours communication.
Look for early signs
Difficulty switching off, disrupted sleep, Sunday-evening anxiety, irritability, persistent tiredness or feeling that there is never enough time to recover before work starts again can be useful signs that something may need attention.
Remember
Rest is not something that has to be earned by reaching exhaustion.
Recovery is part of maintaining wellbeing and sustainable working.
People need time not only to stop working, but to feel that work has actually stopped.
Space to Breathe Therapy
