Optimizing work and off-job motivation through proactive recovery strategies

Two employee-level experiences — off-job recovery and optimal work motivation — are vital for reducing or avoiding work stress and promoting occupational health and work performance. However, the interplay between employee recovery and motivation has been theoretically underdeveloped in prior research. In this Perspective, we present a dual-pathway model of proactive recovery strategies that integrates key concepts from the fields of recovery from work and self-determination theory. This model delineates how individuals can self-manage their off-job time through proactive recovery strategies to optimize motivation across life domains, with potential positive effects for occupational health and work performance. The dual-pathway model of proactive recovery strategies broadens the existing literature on employee recovery and motivation by considering off-job motivation as a key motivational process that connects recovery experiences to motivation, health and performance in the work domain, and by highlighting the often proactive nature of recovery attainment.