User experience predicts the effectiveness of a gamified recovery app

Previous studies have demonstrated that vacations help workers recover from occupational stress, but this effect typically fades within 2 weeks of returning to work. To proactively reduce occupational stress, regular engagement in recreational activities is vital. During vacations, workers intuitively engage in recovery behaviors. The gamified smartphone application (app), Holidaily, was developed to encourage workers to engage in recreational activities during and beyond their vacation and integrate them into daily working life. To date, evidence is scarce on whether vacation-related recovery can be enhanced wi…