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Study reveals tailored recovery strategies boost resilience, but can't fix disconnection

Researchers at The University of Western Australia examined the recovery strategies people used following experiences of workplace rudeness and found the effectiveness depended on how the negative experiences impacted individuals.

Associate Professor Lies Notebaert, from UWA's School of Psychological Science, and Dr. Joseph Carpini, from UWA's Business School, were co-authors of the study in Adversity and Resilience Science.

"Rudeness at work is a widespread issue that affects employees' well-being and productivity," Associate Professor Notebaert said.

"We wanted to test whether recovery is a 'one size fits all,' or whether different recovery strategies can have a different impact."

The study examined different recovery experiences from rude or discourteous behavior at work using data from 289 local government professionals and found different types of recovery strategies contributed to different types of resilience.

The findings suggest that a tailored approach to recovery may be more effective than generic strategies to enhance resilience.

"When people feel emotionally exhausted, separating oneself psychologically from work and relaxation helped the most," Associate Professor Notebaert said.

"When people feel like they are not accomplishing their goals at work, recovery strategies that emphasized exercising their own control, like pursuing a hobby or learning a new language, were most effective.

"However, none of the recovery strategies we examined could mitigate the sense of disconnection caused by rude or discourteous behavior."

The study recommended tailoring resilience-building strategies to address the unique needs and challenges faced by employees in their work environments.

"Informed evidence-based interventions have the potential to prioritize employee well-being and increase organizational effectiveness," Associate Professor Notebaert said.