05.03.2021 Josephin Hartmann 6158

Sven Hannawald: "My burnout was a free fall"

As winner of the Four Hills Tournament, Olympic champion and four-time world champion, Sven Hannwald is one of the most famous ski jumpers of our time. But the high demands placed on the athlete led to a breakdown. Diagnosis: burnout. In this interview, Sven Hannawald tells us how he got his life back into balance and what he can do better today than he could back then.

What does being perfect mean to you?

Sven Hannwald: What is perfect? The framework conditions also have to be right. In ski jumping, there are fixed aerodynamic and physical principles that I had to integrate. The better the conditions were, the better the result could be.

I realize that I can't be satisfied with half tasks. That's something I'll never let go of. In competitive sport, it was with me 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without taking breaks. This subsequently led to me having to give up ski jumping due to burnout.

Do I have to be a perfectionist to achieve top performance?

I think so. Athletes who make it to the top of the world must be perfectionists to a certain extent. They analyze their body and their performance very carefully in order to get the maximum out of it. The further up you want to go, the more specialized you have to be in your training. This makes them more successful than others along the way, but also requires appropriate rest periods. I didn't allow myself enough of these rest periods back then because I had a guilty conscience.

After many years of competitive sport, deep exhaustion followed in the form of burnout. Your condition fluctuated between physical and mental extremes. How does that feel?

I kept my head above water until I ran out of energy and sank. When I finally got away from the stress, I had a complete breakdown. It was like a free fall into complete chaos. A life change that overwhelmed me from one day to the next. If you don't take the signals seriously, there comes a point when things go rapidly downhill. I first had to run into a wall to hear the bang.

Many people find themselves in a constant state of creating and giving. Why do people find it difficult to take frequent breaks?

Those who are very deeply involved in their routines and obligations usually find it difficult to let the wheel run a little more smoothly. You can't let yourself get carried away, you have to look in the mirror every day and tell yourself that you need to rest now. That was exactly the point I was at back then. When your body sends the signals that you're tired and exhausted, you need to take it easy. I couldn't do that back then. The belief that I couldn't win competitions by resting was anchored in me. That always made me feel guilty, even though my body needed some space.

We humans have had a wide variety of experiences in our childhood and youth. During this time, many beliefs are formed in our heads. Many people believe that they have to function in order to achieve something. At times, this is also important in order to achieve certain goals. But afterwards you have to allow yourself the necessary rest. Sometimes a 30-minute walk is not enough to recharge the battery.

Personal crises, symptoms of overload, physical and mental exhaustion are often seen as weakness. Where does this come from and how can we create a new awareness?

This is a character issue. Everyone has to decide for themselves how much rest their body needs and how much strain it can take. Being aware of this fact is more of a strength. Others shouldn't point the finger at you because everyone is different.

As adults, we are always the role models for our children. Some believe that they are not allowed to show weakness in front of their children. But that is exactly the point that makes everything worse. Children are already growing into a world where processes will run faster and faster in the future and there will be even more opportunities for overload.

Which of your skills and strengths have helped you to get your life back into balance? What are you better at today than your younger self?

Today, I know exactly when and how often I need my breaks. Of course there are moments when I have to work a lot, but after stressful phases I take myself off completely to find peace and quiet again. I know that I'm a full throttle kind of person, but I consciously take my breaks.

If you simply want to switch off and recharge your batteries: How do you do that?

I love my family and nature. It gives me strength. Especially now in winter, it's great to enjoy the snow, build an igloo with the children or go sledging. Of course, I'm still a sportsman, so exercise is an important balance for me.

If life were a movie: Would you rather include a fast-forward, rewind or pause button?

If I were to rewind, I wouldn't have the guarantee of achieving what I have achieved. I know that the low I had to experience was a result of the high, which I definitely wouldn't want to miss. I have been able to fulfill my childhood dream, so I leave everything as it is.

Sven Hannawald is one of the most famous ski jumpers of our time. Professionally, he is now in demand as a TV expert and management consultant. As a corporate health ambassador, he also provides valuable impulses for stress and burnout prevention in professional and private life.