Digital dinacharya and workplace burnout: a cross-sectional analytical study of occupational health

Neha S. Maske; Kirti B. Gaikwad; Meera K. Bhojani

doi:10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20264183

Authors

Neha S. Maske Department of Kriya Sharir, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, Delhi, India
Kirti B. Gaikwad Department of Kriya Sharir, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, Delhi, India
Meera K. Bhojani Department of Kriya Sharir, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, Delhi, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20264183

Keywords:

Ayurveda, Digital lifestyle, Dinacharya, Occupational burnout, Sleep quality

Abstract

Background: Prolonged screen exposure, after-hours connectivity, and sedentary work are linked to poor sleep and occupational burnout among Indian working professionals. Ayurvedic Dinacharya regulates waking, Vyayama, Bhojana Vidhi, and Nidra Vidhi; however, digital-era disruption of these domains among working adults remains unstudied. This study aimed to assess digital lifestyle behaviours mapped to Dinacharya principles as behavioural markers of Pragyaparadha, in relation to sleep quality and occupational burnout among working adults, and to identify behaviours independently associated with poor sleep and higher burnout.

Methods: A cross-sectional analytical survey (STROBE-reported) was conducted at the All-India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, during (January 2026 to July 2026), among 400 working adults aged 25-40 years with ≥1 year of occupational experience. A structured proforma captured sociodemographic details and Dinacharya-mapped digital behaviours across five domains (morning routine, bedtime device use, after-hours connectivity, screen breaks/sedentary time, mealtime practices). Sleep quality and burnout were assessed using the PSQI and Copenhagen burnout inventory.

Results: Of 400 participants, 56.8% had poor sleep quality, 61% personal burnout, and 55.8% work-related burnout. Bedtime device use and inadequate screen breaks/sedentary behaviour independently predicted poor sleep (aOR 1.76 and 1.98). After-hours connectivity, sedentary behaviour, and mealtime digital engagement predicted personal burnout; bedtime device use, sedentary behaviour, mealtime digital engagement, and digital overload predicted work-related burnout (all p<0.05).

Conclusions: Digital lifestyle behaviours reflect patterns of Pragyaparadha in daily digital conduct. Interpreted through Dinacharya and Nidra, the findings support a culturally grounded, preventive Digital Dinacharya framework for digital-era occupational health.

References

Sonnentag S, Fritz C. The Recovery Experience Questionnaire: development and validation of a measure for assessing recuperation and unwinding from work. J Occup Health Psychol. 2007;12(3):204-21.

Maslach C, Leiter MP. Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psych. 2016;15(2):103-11.

Sidiq M, Janakiraman B, Kashoo F, Tedla JS, Veeragoudhaman TS, Chahal A, et al. Sleep and workload mediate the relationship between digital engagement and burnout: a national cross-sectional study of university faculty in India. Arch Public Health. 2026;84(1):118.

Ratnakaran B, Prabhakaran A, Karunakaran V. Prevalence of burnout and its correlates among residents in a tertiary medical center in Kerala, India: a cross-sectional study. J Postgrad Med. 2016;62(3):157-61.

Sidiq M, Ch SJP, Janakiraman B, Chahal A, Khan I, Kaura S, et al. Burnout experience among healthcare workers post third COVID-19 wave in India; findings of a cross-sectional study. PeerJ. 2024;12:e18039.

Vagbhata, Ashtanga Hridaya, edited by Brahmananda Tripathi. Reprint ed. Delhi: Chaukhambha Sanskrit Pratishthan; Sutrasthana, Chapter 2 (Dinacharya Adhyaya). 1999: p. 34.

Agnivesha, Charaka Samhita, edited by Kashinath Shastri, Gorakhnath Chaturvedi. Reprint ed. Varanasi: Chaukhambha Bharati Academy; Sutrasthana, Chapter 5 (Matrashitiya Adhyaya). 2016: p. 123.

Chang AM, Aeschbach D, Duffy JF, Czeisler CA. Evening use of light-emitting eReaders negatively affects sleep, circadian timing, and next-morning alertness. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2015;112(4):1232-7.

Exelmans L, Van den Bulck J. Bedtime mobile phone use and sleep in adults. Soc Sci Med. 2016;148:93-101.

Owen N, Healy GN, Matthews CE, Dunstan DW. Too much sitting: the population health science of sedentary behavior. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2010;38(3):105-13.

Derks D, Bakker AB. Smartphone use, work-home interference, and burnout: a diary study on the role of recovery. Appl Psychol. 2014;63(3):411-40.

Ashforth BE, Kreiner GE, Fugate M. All in a day's work: boundaries and micro role transitions. Acad Manage Rev. 2000;25(3):472-91.

Przybylski AK, Murayama K, DeHaan CR, Gladwell V. Motivational, emotional, and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out. Comput Human Behav. 2013;29(4):1841-8.

Tarafdar M, Tu Q, Ragu-Nathan BS, Ragu-Nathan TS. The impact of technostress on role stress and productivity. J Manag Inf Syst. 2007;24(1):301-28.

Robinson E, Aveyard P, Daley A, Jolly K, Lewis A, Lycett D, Higgs S. Eating attentively: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of food intake memory and awareness on eating. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013;97(4):728-42.

Vagbhata. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutrasthana, Chapter 2 (Dinacharya Adhyaya). Reprint ed. Varanasi: Chaukhambha Sanskrit Pratishthan; 1999.

Agnivesha. Charaka Samhita, Sutrasthana, Chapter 5 (Matrashitiya Adhyaya). Reprint ed. Varanasi: Chaukhambha Sanskrit Sansthan; 2016.