Impact of ‘Me-time’ on Psychological Well-being: A Comparative Study of Gig and Permanent Workers Through the Lens of Identity Theory of Mind

Work-life balance plays a crucial role in maintaining employees’ psychological well-being. The present study focuses on ‘me-time’ as an important non-family dimension of work-life balance. Since the nature of work differs between permanent and gig workers, their need for personal time is likely to vary accordingly. Consequently, the study examines the relationships among me-time, psychological well-being and work-life conflict, while considering the role of employment type in shaping these relationships. A quantitative research design was employed, with survey questionnaires used as the primary data collection method. Data were collected from 694 professionals in the IT and edtech sectors, including 332 permanent employees and 362 gig workers. The proposed framework was examined using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results show that me-time significantly affects psychological well-being, with work-life conflict acting as a mediator in this relationship. However, no significant difference was observed between permanent and gig workers with regard to the impact of me-time on psychological well-being. By underlining the importance of personal time and self-care, this study contributes to the literature by integrating me-time, psychological well-being and work-life conflict into a framework grounded in the identity theory of mind.