Pdf: DRMJ vol15 no01 2026-Clanek 01
Publication:
DOI:
10.17708/DRMJ.2026.v15n01a01
Author(s):
Excerpt:
Occupational recovery theories traditionally emphasize psychological detachment and low‐arousal states as necessary for restoring depleted resources. However, this framework fails to explain why certain high‐tempo, cognitively demanding activities appear to facilitate recovery for skilled practitioners. Originating from an auto‐ethnographic observation involving over 50,000 games of speed chess played during a period of high academic workload, this paper develops the Time‐Pressure Adaptation Model (TPAM). We propose that brief, voluntary engagement in high‐tempo activities forces a switch from deliberative (System 2) to automatic (System 1) processing, mechanically displacing rumination. Crucially, we theorize that expertise functions as a boundary condition: only when automaticity is high does time pressure reduce cognitive load; otherwise, it amplifies strain. We synthesize research on dual‐process cognition, the “choking under pressure” phenomenon, and default mode network suppression to generate testable propositions regarding workload, rumination, and active recovery.
Pages:
9‐21
Keywords: