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Thus far, studies on employee recovery have produced mixed findings about which off-job activities contribute or impede recovery. We suggest that the recovery potential of an off-job activity depends on the employee's motivation for the activity. Based on Self-Determination theory, we expect that leisure activities (social, low-effort, physical activities), particularly lead to next morning recovery when one has intrinsic, as opposed to extrinsic, motivational tendencies for the activity. Likewise, the harmful effects of high-duty off-job activities (work-related tasks, household chores, care tasks) are expected to be less severe when one is intrinsically, and not extrinsically, motivated for the tasks. During five consecutive days, 74 employees (356 data points) recorded the hours spent on six off-job activities before going to sleep, and their feelings of exhaustion and recovery the next morning, while overall motivation for each of the six activities was measured by a general questionnaire. As predicted, the positive relationship between leisure activities and next morning recovery was more pronounced among employees with greater inherent intrinsic, in comparison with extrinsic motivation for the activity. Moreover, intrinsic motivation attenuated the positive relationship between high-duty tasks and next morning exhaustion. Our findings highlight the importance of intrinsic motivation for the recovery potential of off-job activities.
