Dynamic Relationships Management Journal | 2026
Authors: Buch R.; Gautvik-Minker A.
DOI: 10.17708/DRMJ.2026.v15n01a01
Journal: Dynamic Relationships Management Journal
Year: 2026
Publisher: Slovenian Academy of Management
Document Type: Article
Open Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access
Cited by: 0
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. © (2026), (Slovenian Academy of Management). All rights reserved.
automaticity; cognitive load; expertise; Occupational recovery; rumination; time pressure