Mentally healthy at work thanks to stress management
28 April is Workplace Health Day - a good opportunity to take a look at the different types of stress we experience on the job and how they affect our mental health.
Two types of stress
On the one hand, there is the positively perceived eustress (from Greek: good, right, easy), in which our abilities are challenged to the maximum, we experience ourselves as highly concentrated and efficient and enjoy this feeling. This is real flow.
But if stress becomes a permanent condition and is even combined with feelings of overload or excessive demands, the autonomic nervous system can no longer shut down. We are in the midst of distress (Greek: bad), which in the long run can damage our mental health, make itself felt psychosomatically and, in the worst case, lead us to burnout.
Keyword Burnout Prophylaxis
In the current Mental Health column "Mental Health and Health Day at Work: Stress, ease up!", FemalExperts columnist Nora Hille asked psychologist Dörthe Dehe, who specialises in health management in everyday work, about the warning signs of impending burnout. The expert names criteria by which the danger of burnout can be recognised and gives valuable tips for deceleration as well as for a new break culture (mini-breaks of three to five minutes every 60 to 90 minutes), which can help to escape the distress trap.
Tip: Train self-perception
According to Dehe, one of the most important things is permanent self-observation, so that we can perceive the stress signals of body and psyche at all. Only when we are aware of ourselves and recognise what stresses us and what we need instead, can we take good care of ourselves and our mental health. Dörte Dehe says: "Relaxation and mental hygiene should be as much a part of our everyday life as brushing our teeth every day.
Nora Hille, who is less able to cope with stress due to her bipolar disorder, gives very personal insights into her experiences with eustress and distress, describes individual coping strategies and encourages. Because mental strength can grow over time - and with it one's own ability to deal with stressful situations.
About the author
Nora Hille, born 1975, married, two children. Studied history, literature and media studies. 12 years working in the field of communication/PR. Retired for health reasons. Writes as an affected person and experience expert on the topics of mental health and mental illness. Is committed to anti-stigma work, i.e. against the stigmatisation (exclusion) of mentally ill people in our society for more togetherness, tolerance and equality. She also writes literary essays, poems and short prose.