An interview with our resilience expert Renate Freisler
What is stress? Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „Thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions as part of our school project. Let's get straight to the point: What is stress for you?“
Renate Freisler: „Thank you very much. The answer in one word is: A Survival strategy. Stress is a physical and psychological reaction to a situation that is perceived by the person concerned as (too) challenging/overwhelming.“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „What types of stress are there for you?“
Renate Freisler: „Eustress = positive stress; disstress = negative stress“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „What are the different meanings of stress?“
Renate Freisler: „Positive stress is experienced as stimulating and the challenge is perceived as pleasant or manageable. In addition to the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline, endorphins such as dopamine are also released. This brings the body into a positive emotional state of excitement and releases mental energy. This often leads to moments of flow.
Negative stress is experienced as a burden. The coping strategies available do not match the given requirements. Feelings such as fear, anger and sadness arise and perception is restricted. The body switches to attack or flight; if this is not possible, rigidity or ‚playing dead‘ can develop.“
Stress as a feasible challenge
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „How do you personally deal with stress?“
Renate Freisler: „I see stressful situations as manageable challenges that I can grow from. I make myself aware of my resources and successes, pay attention to constructive thoughts and live healthily. Plenty of exercise, nutrition and relaxation are three important companions. For me, it's about seeing my own learning opportunities.“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „What exactly is your job? What is your job called?“
Renate Freisler: „I am a ‚business coach, trainer and author‘
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „Which people come to you? (Age, gender ...)“
Renate Freisler: „From companies, managers and employees, private individuals and the self-employed, female and male in roughly equal proportions, aged between 30 and 60.“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „What kind of problems do your clients generally have?“
Renate Freisler: „High workloads and stress, neglecting one's own needs, growing into the new role as a manager, many changes in the company, e.g. agility, transformation, strengthening self-confidence, professional reorientation, strengthening resilience (psychological resistance), burn-out prevention or reintegration, work organization, since Corona the topic of home office/mobile working/demarcation has also become stronger.“
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Clients neglect needs
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „What problems do your clients have in relation to stress?“
Renate Freisler: „Many clients neglect their needs and over time develop psychological and physical symptoms, e.g. no longer being able to switch off, back tension, headaches, stomach problems, sleep disorders. They feel overwhelmed, no longer able to cope with the demands, fear of failure, lack of life balance, family or hobbies are neglected and they work more than is good for them.“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „Do you give each client individual advice/treatment, or is there something you do for everyone?“
Renate Freisler: „Basically, every client receives an individual consultation or coaching process. What I do for everyone is: listen, empathize, appreciate, see the person, strengthen resources, raise awareness of destructive patterns, see the good in the bad, encourage a change of perspective - and above all, ask good questions.“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „How does a meeting with you work?“
Renate Freisler: „There is usually an introductory meeting by phone or video.
The individual sessions are very personalized. At the beginning of a coaching session, I work out a goal with the client. The path is derived from this. I have a large toolbox of methods, so I am very flexible here. From cognitive work to emotional work, imagination, visualization and systemic work, everything is included.
The client's current issues take priority, so at the beginning of a session we discuss what is important today and also reflect on the impact/change of the previous session.“
Offers against stress
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „What different offers do you have?“
Renate Freisler: „Business coaching, personal coaching, personality analysis, on-the-job training, individual seminars“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „Which services are suitable for which types of problems?“
Renate Freisler:
- „Business coaching: for topics from the corporate environment (leadership, transformations, professional stress, Career coaching, conflicts ...)
- Personal coaching: for personal issues (crises, reorientation, overload, lack of self-confidence)
Personality analyses: for all coaching sessions - Training on the job: If knowledge transfer is also required (e.g. for a young manager or for work organization)
- Individual seminars: for groups in companies (self- and stress management, resilience, mindfulness, self-leadership)“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „Which of these services is used most frequently?
Renate Freisler: „Business and personal coaching with personality analysis“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „How do you prefer to work? Which methods do you prefer to work with?“
Renate Freisler: „With a mix of methods: imagination, visualization, systemic in space, mindfulness, positive psychology, change of perspective, timeline work“
There are solutions for burnout and depression
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „Are there different facilities for different problems or different cases?“
Renate Freisler: „What is meant by ‚facilities‘? With Burn-out or depression, for example, there are psychosomatic clinics - inpatient or day clinics. As a coach, I work with healthy people.“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „Can stress be controlled or prevented?“
Renate Freisler: „Be aware of your personal stress patterns, be aware of your resources, strengths and strategies for action, get plenty of exercise, eat healthily, relax, e.g. yoga, mindfulness, breathing exercises, develop constructive thought patterns, deal with personal injuries and negative emotional experiences from the past.“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „How does stress affect everyday life/work life?“
Renate Freisler: „Positive stress and a certain amount of tension in balance with relaxation strengthens us. In this respect, stress is not fundamentally negative. To a healthy extent, it makes us productive.
Negative stress over a long period of time reduces our performance, makes us ill in the long term and changes our internal physical processes. The WHO has declared stress to be one of the greatest dangers of the 21st century.“
Stress is a natural reaction to danger
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „Where is stress useful, where does it get in the way?“
Renate Freisler: „Useful: in acute danger. Stress is our natural reaction to danger and is therefore our survival strategy. Energy is released in the body that enables us to flee or attack. Without this function, we would no longer exist. Disruptive: When it becomes too much or there is no real threat of danger and we need our prefrontal cortex (e.g. during an exam).“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „What if your treatment doesn't work?“
Renate Freisler: „My work is not a treatment. Coaching is process-oriented support for people. As a coach, I am responsible for the process. The client is responsible for the content and the implementation. They work out their own solution - with my support for the process.“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „Do some clients give you feedback later?“
Renate Freisler: „Yes, I often receive feedback in the form of emails.“
Be ready for change
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „Who would you recommend to come to you?“
Renate Freisler: „People who take responsibility for themselves and their lives, are willing to change and want to develop personally.“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „What would you change in society to avoid stress?“
Renate Freisler: „Teaching schools about stress, resilience and mindfulness.
Promoting personal responsibility and autonomy in companies, more appreciation for employees and managers, strength-oriented distribution of tasks, focusing attention on success and mastering challenges with strengthened resources, learning a healthy error culture, emphasizing what unites us and appreciating differences, cultivating appreciative relationships.“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „How is stress related to the psyche?“
Renate Freisler: „This is very closely linked. Body, mind and soul (= psyche) interact with each other. That's why stress affects all three areas.“
Several years of professional experience is essential
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „What do you have to do to be able to do your job? (Study ...)“
Renate Freisler: „This can be a degree in psychology or comprehensive training as a coach combined with several years of professional experience, ideally as a Manager. There are many private providers of coaching training.“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „How did your career progress?“
Renate Freisler: „I completed a commercial apprenticeship and gained over 25 years of professional experience (including almost 10 years as a team leader in auditing). I then completed my training as a yoga teacher, followed by coaching training and psychotherapy as a non-medical practitioner, then training as a trainer, positive psychology consultant and many methodological training courses with self-awareness. I have developed a wide range of methods and gained my own experience as a coachee. I have now been self-employed for over 11 years.“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „How did you get into your profession?“
Renate Freisler: „I resigned myself. It was a long process to give up what felt like a „secure“ base after so many years. It was the right decision.“
Coaching is lifelong learning
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „Who is suitable for this job?“
Renate Freisler: „People with an interest in other people, who are empathetic and also work on their own personality. For me as a coach, coaching is a lifelong process of learning and developing your own personality.“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „Is it sometimes difficult for you to separate work and everyday life or does your job have an impact on your everyday life?“
Renate Freisler: „For me, there is no clear separation between my professional and private life. A lot of things merge because I'm also interested in professional topics in my private life. Sometimes I have to restrain myself from reading too many specialist books on vacation ????“
Melisa Y. and Sophia B.: „Thank you very much for the interesting information and the insight into your vocation.“
Renate Freisler: „With pleasure, it was a pleasure and an honor to be able to pass on a part of it to you.“
Also read our article about Damage to image and Coaching for women.
What is stress and how does it arise?
Stress is a natural reaction of the body to a challenge or threat. It is a normal reaction of the body to protect us in situations of danger or pressure. Stress occurs when the body releases the stress hormone cortisol so that we can act quickly and effectively. However, if this state lasts longer and cortisol is constantly released, it can have a negative impact on health and well-being.
How can stress be avoided?
There are many ways to avoid or reduce stress. These include regular exercise, a balanced diet, sufficient sleep, regular breaks and rest, relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation, avoiding negative thought patterns, support from family and friends and setting realistic goals and priorities.
How can you deal with stress?
There are many ways to deal with stress. These include relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation or progressive muscle relaxation. A positive attitude and practicing self-compassion can also help to reduce stress. It is also important to have realistic expectations and set priorities in order to avoid excessive pressure. Open communication with family and friends and seeking professional help when needed can also be helpful in coping with stress.
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