Every year, especially after a vacation, people sign up with pretty much the same text: ‘I just got back from my vacation and thought I was pretty well rested and now within a month I’m actually too tired to carry on nicely. I was really looking forward to it, but the work actually takes too much effort for me.’

Stress makes one disinterested
What those involved may have done wrong is hardly of interest. It is important that they are able to return to their jobs as soon as possible with joy and energy. Since Mr. Freudenberger defined the term burnout in the 1970s, a great deal of research has been done on the effects of stress. For example, engagement with work is found to be negatively affected by stress, but feelings of well-being and the degree of effective action also deteriorate dramatically.

Work Risk
By and large, work has become less and less physically demanding. On the other hand, due to the increased mental demands that work tends to make and the constant demands of the environment, work does become more demanding in many cases. Most of us no longer go through our backs as a result of lifting excessively heavy loads, but we sink through our “hooves” because we handle our own well-being poorly.

Initial characteristics
The first signs of mental overload are usually totally ignored by many. A little more forgetful, slightly irritable, a little more cynical than usual and really mostly functioning on autopilot. For example, for a long time you don’t notice that you have been driving on the highway heading east for 15 minutes because you drive that stretch to work every day, when now for an appointment you really should have gone the other way. This seems like a normal occurrence. Sure, but it is also a direct result of not being able to muster enough concentration. When such things happen to you several times in a relatively short period of time, there really is serious work to be done.

Complexity
Factors that cause chronic stress are diverse. What is stressful for one person may not have to be so for another at all. Thus, an adequate solution, too, is not the same for everyone. However, everyone can keep their finger on the pulse in a similar way and take timely measures to avoid becoming overloaded.

#1: Always have energy to spare
Last week I was painting the walls and ceiling. After an ample day’s work, I was actually too tired, but finishing the last two beams was still possible. I spilled more paint on my clothes in that last half hour than during the rest of the day. Harsh. I should have observed the rule: Don’t keep going until your energy is actually depleted and it has to come from your toes.

#2: Overload is a serious issue
Not infrequently, it seems that people who have fallen through the ice well seem to be able to handle less stress structurally even after recovery. Okay, work is a serious business, but still not so weighty that it makes you sick. And also at the risk of permanent damage. Timely throttling down is essential and may require some guts, as others often don’t seem to understand. Resting on time ultimately makes you more effective.

#3: Protective factors
As mentioned, it works differently for everyone, but it is clear that the resilience needed to cope with setbacks and the threat of overload is made up of the same aspects for everyone. Make sure you have a focus on what is really important to you and that you skill yourself in lightheartedness, not taking everything so seriously. Knowing exactly what you are good at, what your competencies are and constantly maintaining your social contacts well, these are the four essential characteristics for being resilient.

#4: Ask for help
If it turns out that you find it too difficult to cope well with the demands of your job, knock on the door of an expert. Targeted and skilled help can ensure that you don’t actually become chronically overburdened and thus out of work. In addition, you can then learn how to deal structurally with work pressure and other stressors. Why would you do go to the doctor for heartburn and, in addition, find it odd to ask for help in handling stress that affects your entire well-being?