Micro-breaks matter: A diary study on the effects of energy management strategies on occupational well-being

•We used an hourly diary study design to examine the effects of energy management strategies on occupational well-being.•We expected that work-related strategies and micro-breaks negatively predict fatigue and positively predict vitality.•On the between-person level, the use of work-related strategies was positively associated with vitality but not fatigue.•On the within-person level, only micro-breaks negatively predicted fatigue and positively predicted vitality.

Organizational researchers and practitioners are increasingly interested in self-regulatory strategies employees can use at work to sustain or improve their occupational well-being. A recent cross-sectional study on energy management strategies suggested that many work-related strategies (e.g., setting a new goal) are positively related to occupational well-being, whereas many micro-breaks (e.g., listening to music) are negatively related to occupational well-being. We used a diary study design to take a closer look at the effects of these energy management strategies on fatigue and vitality. Based on conservation of resources theory, we hypothesized that both types of energy management strategies negatively predict fatigue and positively predict vitality. Employees (N = 124) responded to a baseline survey and to hourly surveys across one work day (6.7 times on average). Consistent with previous research, between-person differences in the use of work-related strategies were positively associated with between-person differences in vitality. However, results of multilevel analyses of the hourly diary data showed that only micro-breaks negatively predicted fatigue and positively predicted vitality. These findings suggest that taking micro-breaks during the work day may have short-term effects on occupational well-being, whereas using work-related strategies may have long-term effects.