Mental Readiness and Fatigue: Extended Perspectives on Cognitive Functioning and Flow Experiences at Work

Mental fatigue and mental readiness reflect key aspects of cognitive functioning in everyday knowledge work.Fatigue indicates diminished concentration, while readiness captures a positive state of preparedness influenced by mood, motivation, and alertness.Understanding their interplay may be crucial for enhancing wellbeing in digital work environments.We conducted a two-week-long experience sampling study in a home-office setting, where eight participants alternated between controlled tasks and natural knowledge work over ten sessions.Results show that mental fatigue and readiness are inversely related but distinct, each contributing uniquely to mental workload and flow experiences.Readiness predicts higher workload, reflecting increased engagement when individuals feel motivated and alert.Flow strongly correlates with post-task readiness, suggesting it maintains positive motivational aspects, even amid increased fatigue.These findings underscore the nuanced roles of cognitive states in shaping well-being and highlight opportunities for adaptive systems to foster positive mental states in real-world work contexts.