Reclaimed bridging assistance, coronavirus loans to be repaid and seemingly pointless documentation requirements are typical stressors. And if you can influence neither the cause nor the consequences yourself, helplessness and frustration arise. If too many tasks have to be completed at the same time, this leads to resignation. You can't afford the latter in production, where every team member counts and everyone relies on everyone else. But in other jobs, too, you don't want to allow yourself to fail to fulfil your duties and push yourself to your limits.

Genuine burnout, i.e. the collapse of the body due to acute overload, is rarely visible or recognised; after all, it is only a symptom description, but not an illness and certainly not an occupational disease - at least in Germany. Chronic wear and tear of the body due to constant stress, which according to the authors te Wildt/Schiele in "Burn On: Immer kurz vorm Burn Out" is now also established as a term by health insurance companies, describes conditions that we know well from 50+ hour working weeks. It should not go unmentioned that the topic of work-life balance does not have much to do with this. Professional challenges, even if they are time-consuming, certainly lead to satisfaction and a high level of self-esteem. It is therefore important to identify negative stressors.

Work that does not create added value, that is pointless and can therefore be described with adjectives such as "futile", "wasted" and "for nothing" should sensitise us to the problem. "Put up with it or change it" does not work when it comes to government requirements. There is great potential for frustration here due to overly complicated and, in particular, inefficient administrative requirements. Recognised and understood the problem? Good, then let's move on to the quick solutions.

Check the tasks that you describe as "I have to" or "I can't" and see if they can be replaced by "I decide in favour of" or "against". You will be amazed at how supposedly important to-dos lose priority.

Delimit your roles and always stay within your boundaries. What does that mean?
Your role as a family member requires your attention as a mother, father, sister, brother, daughter or son. You should refrain from making company phone calls while on an outing together, from dealing with emails at your parents' care home and from reports at the dinner table. The day will come when you regret not having enjoyed the time.
It is just as important to define your role in the company, for example as part of the project management team or management. Indignation at work is allowed, but never take developments at work personally and don't take them home with you. If you fall over tomorrow, someone else will take your role there. Everyone (honestly!) is replaceable.
In the USA, there are good management training courses on this, which unfortunately (as far as I know) have not made it to Germany. There, tasks are assigned to the corresponding role models and demarcation is trained.
If couples or several family members work in the same company or on the same project, the demarcation between work and family is existential. The separation of roles is all the more difficult and requires discipline. Arrange company-free times, for example from 9 to 9 (i.e. from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.), or a company-free day. Conversely, private matters should not be part of the working day. There are breaks for this. Especially when family members have to fulfil different roles, are each other's boss or similar, the working atmosphere with the workforce can suffer. If you both work and still manage to get your lives together, these little organisational exercises are child's play for you, right?

Look for small successes, even if there are always plenty of worries. "The Glory of Life", currently in the cinema (see tips), shows this in the last year of Franz Kafka's life. Despite an incurable illness, he describes life as full of happiness, sometimes only obscured by a veil of other impressions, but the splendour of life is always there.

Make sure you get enough sleep. This is not always possible, but sleep is guaranteed to be better without news alerts and email checks before going to sleep. Avoid bad news two hours before you go to sleep - and TV news is always bad.

Make sure you eat a good, balanced diet. If this is not possible, reduce bad elements such as caffeine, alcohol and sugar - preferably also meat and industrialised meals.

Use all the senses: room fragrance, music, lighting design.

Take some organised time out. Sleeping away the weekend at home only strengthens the body, but the mind is just as important. Only both can work together. Plan an event, maybe just a small one. You will remember it for longer and it will motivate you. Take a photo or a souvenir with you so that you can take a moment to reminisce in particularly stressful situations.

With the perfection with which you organise your everyday life, it should be possible to call or meet up with good friends and family, right? It's these moments that make life worth living.

If you notice that your strength is starting to decline, contact a specialist in good time. This could be your family doctor or a coach. Listen to your body and your feelings and take them seriously. Life is precious because it is finite. Don't miss the right time.

I wish you good health and much success,

Your Ensider:Team
(Author: Markus Vogelbacher)

Picture: IFP 2023