a woman watering on a roof garden
Body & Soul

Reduce stress: 7 tips for city dwellers

Going out into nature for 20 minutes three times a week has been proven to reduce stress. Seven tips on how city dwellers can also experience nature in small ways to improve their well-being.

Imagine you could take a pill that has been proven to reduce your stress. You would only have to remember to take the pill three times a week and your whole life would be more relaxed. Your mental and physical well-being would demonstrably improve and you could even measure this effect. Would you take this pill?

Well, this pill is within reach and it is simply called: get out into nature!
A remarkable study that prescribed city dwellers to experience nature for just ten minutes at least three times a week illustrates just how great the effect of a "nature pill" is. The relaxing effect was proven using saliva samples.

"Natural pill" reduces stress

The results showed that even very short nature experiences led to a significant reduction in cortisol and alpha-amylase - two stress markers in the human body. The greatest benefit for the test subjects of the "nature pill" was measured when the testers spent between 20 and 30 minutes in nature - the exact time of the nature experience did not matter.

A number of studies also show that experiencing nature not only increases well-being, but can also promote personal development by strengthening aspects such as self-esteem, creativity, social skills and environmental awareness. Researchers have also found that spending time in nature promotes a sense of connection, autonomy and personal development.

Get out into the countryside, whatever the time!

It doesn't matter whether the "nature experience" takes place in the morning, afternoon or evening. The time can be chosen based on individual factors such as energy levels, preferences or daily planning. Some like to start in the morning to start the day full of energy, others prefer the afternoon for an activity and some prefer to relax in the evening.

Choose the time that best suits your daily routine and well-being and pay attention to how the activity affects your mood.

 


 

Seven tips for experiencing nature in the city

Cities also offer numerous opportunities to experience nature in a relaxing way. Community gardens, parks and rivers offer city dwellers green recreational spaces:

1. small picnic on a meadow

Take a blanket and sit down for 20-30 minutes on a green area or at the edge of a small pond. Enjoy a small snack or a drink and take in the surroundings.

2. meditation or yoga outdoors

Find a quiet place outside, be it in the park, on a green space or on your planted balcony. Meditate for 10-15 minutes or do a short yoga session. Focus on your breath and the natural surroundings.

3. observe animals in the park

Go to a place where you can observe animals, such as a pond with ducks or a park with squirrels and birds. Take 20-30 minutes to observe the animals' behavior and enjoy the nature around you.

4. visit a rooftop or community garden

Visit a community garden or a rooftop garden. These places often offer a surprising amount of greenery and nature in the city. Enjoy the plants and flowers and perhaps also the conversation with other nature lovers.

5. take a short bike tour through green districts

Take a short bike ride through the greenest neighborhoods in your city. Even a 20-minute tour can help you connect with nature and get some fresh air.

6. concentrate on the sounds of nature

Sit down in a quiet place, such as a park, and consciously listen to the sounds of nature around you. The chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves or the sound of running water can be very relaxing.

7. watch the sunset or sunrise

Find a place with a good view, such as a bridge, a hill or a skyscraper roof, and watch the sun set or rise. The natural colors and play of light can have a calming effect and energize you for the day or evening.


 

Sources:

Hunter, M. R., Gillespie, B. W., & Chen, S. Y.-P. (2020). "Urban Nature Experiences Reduce Stress in the Context of Daily Life Based on Salivary Biomarkers." Health & Place)

Vitalizing effects of being outdoors and in nature, Richard M. Ryan, Netta Weinstein, Jessey Bernstein, Kirk Warren Brown, Louis Mistretta, Marylène Gagné, Published in: Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

zero Burnout among employees: What managers need to know

Man on a tightrope in the mountain

Burnout among employees: What managers need to know!

When a team colleague returns to work after a burnout, colleagues and managers almost always ask themselves with some concern: How should we deal with him or her? Will he or she be back at work? Carola Kleinschmidt is a trainer and expert on burnout and knows how managers can manage this balancing act.

Psychologist and Managing Director of Oberbergkliniken. For many years, she established concepts for mental health in the workplace in companies. Kentgens gives many educational talks and workshops in companies of all sizes, and wherever she goes, she always encounters the same uncertainty: "How do I as a colleague or boss deal with the person coming back from illness?

This is a question that concerns a lot of people," explains Kentgens. "The questioners in another department have often seen someone come back to the office but only stay at work for a few hours and then go home again. And they asked themselves: Is he allowed to do that because he was ill? Will that always be the case now?".

Reintegration after burnout: in stages from four to eight weeks

"There is usually a misunderstanding here," explains psychologist Kentgens. Bosses and colleagues often don't know that those returning to work are doing a phased reintegration . During this time, they are still officially on sick leave and the health insurance companies pay the wage costs.

As a rule, a gradual reintegration takes four to eight weeks. This period gives returnees the opportunity to gradually acclimatize to everyday working life and their activities again - without too much pressure. "During this time, special arrangements apply that are underpinned by medical or therapeutic advice. There is an agreed step-by-step plan, which is ideally agreed between the returnee, the person receiving treatment, the manager, the HR department, the works council and the company doctor," explains Kentgens. This means that it is quite possible that only a few hours of work per day have been agreed initially or that other special regulations apply to the employee during this time. Ideally, the employee's resilience will increase continuously.

How to deal with a colleague?

Of course, colleagues who don't know this quickly see someone from the outside who is only able to cope with little stress. And it is not uncommon for this initial image of the returnee to become established. A vicious circle can begin: You don't trust the employee to do much - and thus deprive them of the chance to fully reintegrate into day-to-day business.

"We therefore advise managers to communicate the employee's current status within the company to the team. Temporary special arrangements that have been negotiated with the person concerned, such as no business trips or reduced customer contact, should also be communicated so that the team is aware."

Such agreements can still apply between managers and employees even after gradual reintegration. Even then, it is best to communicate this to everyone. This transparency makes it much easier to reintegrate the returnee into the team and prevents rumors, false consideration and gossip.

After the burnout: no false consideration

Once reintegration is complete, which is usually the case after four to eight weeks, the employee is healthy again and can be fully deployed in the company.

"After reintegration and when any special arrangements have expired, the employee is considered fully resilient again," explains Kentgens. From the psychologist's point of view, this is the right thing to do, as there is a risk, especially after a mental health crisis, that the person will remain in a certain protective posture - or be pushed into the corner of "he's no longer resilient" by those around him out of false consideration."

Such developments are counterproductive for health and, above all, for recovery," explains Kentgens. The aim of reintegration is therefore for the employee to be able to return to their old job with the usual stresses and strains. Ideally, after successful treatment, the employee's attitude, resilience and resistance to stress will have improved - including the ability to say "no" from time to time.

"The biggest concern of those affected is that they will be looked at the wrong way when they return to the company."

If the employee notices before returning to work or during the reintegration process that they no longer want to carry out certain activities that were previously part of their duties, then it is not up to the manager or team to automatically take them off their hands. Rather, it is up to the employee to change their tasks and workload, explains Kentgens. This means that they can negotiate their tasks with their manager and also at HR department level in order to make the work suitable for them.

Talks as part of the reintegration process can also be the place for such adjustments. For example, some burnout sufferers want to reduce their working hours or look after fewer customers than before, and in some cases also want to move to other positions with less responsibility. "This clear appeal to the personal responsibility and clarity of those formerly affected may sound rigid," says Kentgens. But she knows from the everyday experience of therapists who work with burnout sufferers: "The biggest concern of those affected is that they will be looked at the wrong way for months after returning to the company, that they are no longer trusted to do anything and that this is precisely why they will not be able to perform again". Clarity in the reintegration process counteracts this discrimination and is therefore beneficial - for everyone involved.

 

About Carola Kleinschmidt:

Carola Kleinschmidt is a graduate biologist, journalist and certified trainer (additional training in communication psychology, Schulz-von-Thun Institute/University of Hamburg).

She has been working on the topic of "health and the world of work" for 15 years. Stern magazine described her non-fiction book "Bevor der Job krank macht" (Before the job makes you ill) as "one of the best books on the subject of burnout". It has sold over 25,000 copies. Follow-up books: "Das hält keiner bis zur Rente durch" (2014), "Burnout - und dann?" (2016). Carola Kleinschmidt gives lectures and workshops in organizations and companies on the topic of "Good Work & Mental Health". www.carolakleinschmidt.de

 

 

 

Literature tip: "Burnout - and then?" (2016)

Every year, millions of people get back to life after a burnout. They all ask themselves: How will my life go on? Should I expect relapses? What and how much do I need to change in my life?

Carola Kleinschmidt has accompanied many sufferers over the years. She describes what life is like after the crisis, what difficulties arise in the new everyday life and what characterizes the people who leave the spiral of exhaustion behind them for good. Short interviews with experts place the individual experiences in a broader picture and explain which strategies are most suitable. The result is a comprehensive picture of how to find your way back to a positive attitude to life after a burnout and ensure that it stays that way.