Beyond Burnout: Exploring Micro-Recovery Practices in Remote Work Environments

Abstract

Remote work has become a substantial component of modern employment, bringing flexibility and autonomy but also new stressors contributing to burnout. Micro-recovery practices—brief, restorative breaks in the workday—are increasingly considered as interventions to mitigate fatigue, enhance vigor, and support sustainable performance. This article examines existing empirical evidence on micro-recovery in remote work contexts, analyzes relevant datasets on remote work prevalence and burnout risks, and proposes a conceptual model linking micro-breaks, individual and organizational moderators, and well-being and performance outcomes. Our review of meta-analytic data indicates that micro-breaks have moderate, statistically significant effects on reducing fatigue (d = 0.35) and increasing vigor (d = 0.36), though effects on performance are smaller or conditional. We present synthesized results from large surveys on remote work prevalence and burnout indicators. The article concludes with practical recommendations for workers, managers, and designers of remote work systems, and suggests future research directions.