Hengchen
Dai, University of
Pennsylvania, recent work on a phenomenon she calls the fresh start effect shows that calendar events and
special occasions in our lives demarcate the passage of time (e.g., the
beginning of a new week/month, a promotion, a birthday) and generate fresh
start feelings, which motivate aspirational behaviors such as exercise and
dieting. She is also seeking to understand the importance of breaks through a
study using archival data from a healthcare setting. In this project, she has
demonstrated that taking sufficient breaks from work helps healthcare workers
adhere to professional standards (specifically: sanitizing their hands), while
the fatigue generated as work shifts progress increases employees’ propensity
to “cut corners.”
One of the greatest
struggles to overcome when trying to change your ways is the very first one —
the act of getting started. PVRguy
