- After the (summer) vacation, we often return to a stressful daily routine. What can we do to make the break last longer?
"There is a simple exercise that anyone can implement immediately without prior knowledge: Once a day, find a quiet corner at home or at work. It should be a place where you won't be disturbed. Sit or lie down comfortably and begin to relax. Now think intensely about the past vacation. Imagine individual scenes where you were really happy and relaxed as vividly as possible. A situation during the vacation that simply brought joy. Now it's important to imagine the scene with all your senses as vividly as possible. What exactly do you see? What can you hear? What do you smell or taste in your imagination? And most importantly: During this visualization exercise, you should feel a wonderful pleasant emotion! That would be the goal of this 'vacation visualization exercise.' You can stay in the visualization as long as you take the time for it. This exercise should be done for at least 2 weeks after you return from vacation."
- How can we best motivate ourselves on stressful days and in stressful situations?
"First, start reducing stress as quickly as possible (how this is possible will be answered in the next question). Then there is a very simple trick to motivate yourself by setting a clear goal to do something good for yourself on particularly stressful days. If you already know in the morning that the day will be quite exhausting, you should come up with a small reward for yourself. It can be a special meal at lunch or dinner, a special movie in the evening, or a meeting with a good friend after work... it doesn't matter... it has to be something you can look forward to, then it fits. This way, you will get through the stressful day more easily and can motivate yourself for work more easily."
- If we notice that we are already stressed: What are your tips and methods to reduce stress again?
"The best way to quickly reduce stress is any kind of movement. No matter what kind of movement you do, it always helps. However, if you absolutely have no opportunity to move, there is an exercise that you can do anytime and anywhere. This exercise reduces stress at the moment you do it. It leads to an interruption of your thoughts in the brain that cause stress. After a few practice rounds, you will immediately feel physically that you have become calmer. It is an anti-stress breathing exercise. During the exercise, you should be somewhere where you have peace (and if it doesn't work otherwise, go to the restroom).
Execution: Close your eyes and start inhaling through your nose. While inhaling, count from 1 to 5 in your mind. Important: Also visualize the numbers in your mind. Then hold your breath and count from 1 to 3 in your mind (again visualize the numbers). Then exhale through your mouth and count from 1 to 8 (again visualize the numbers). Through the concentration during this exercise, your negative thoughts that cause stress will be temporarily interrupted. The more often you do the exercise, the longer the interruption will last, and you will immediately feel that you are feeling better."
