81 Proactive Vitality Management, Work Engagement, and Creativity As proactive vitality management entails individual, goal-oriented behavior, we propose that individuals may proactively manage their physical and mental energy according to their personal needs and preferences (i.e., how, where, and when). For example, whereas some employees may use mindfulness to manage their physical and cognitive resources so that they are fit for work (Kühnel, Zacher, De Bloom, & Bledow, 2016; Quoidbach, Berry, Hansenne, & Mikolajczak, 2010), others may visit a museum to find new inspiration, or take a walk in the park with the intention to change one’s psychological state (Sianoja, Syrek, De Bloom, Korpela, & Kinnunen, in press). These examples refer to differences between individuals in proactive vitality management. Also, the same person may at certain times proactively search for interactions with colleagues in order to discuss work and find inspiration, and at other times decide to ignore colleagues, phone calls, and e-mails to be able to concentrate. The latter examples refer to differences in proactive vitality management within individuals, from time period to time period. All these forms of proactive vitality management may prepare employees to deal effectively with their work tasks. It should be noted that not all activities are equally effective or beneficial for all individuals at all times. Individual preferences or work-schedule factors may influence whether specific proactive vitality management strategies work or not (cf. Oerlemans & Bakker, 2014; Sonnentag, Venz, & Casper, 2017). Moreover, research suggests that engaging in preferred activities requires less effort and may be most beneficial in terms of physical and mental energy (Trougakos & Hideg, 2009). Accordingly, we propose that proactive vitality management may promote various work-related outcomes – regardless of the specific behavioral strategies people choose to employ. Employees who manage their energy, positive affect, and inspiration through activities in and outside the workplace have a range of resources that can be invested in work. Thus, proactive vitality management has the potential to foster work engagement – a work-related state that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004). Vigor refers to high levels of energy and resilience while working, as well as the willingness to invest considerable effort in one’s work. Dedication means that a person is strongly involved in work and experiences a sense of significance, enthusiasm, and challenge. Finally, absorption is characterized by being fully concentrated and happily engrossed in work activities, whereby time passes quickly 4
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