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Resilience Why does stress make some sick and others bother him?
Permanent stress in the workplace can make you sick. The permanent stress in the job leads to more and more sick leave due to mental illness. But why do some employees become ill, while other colleagues seem to be taking the strain off much better? That tries to find out the German Resilience Center (DRZ) in Mainz.
Why does stress make some sick, others not?
The number of days lost due to depression and other mental illnesses increases from year to year. The reason for this is seen among other things in the increasing workload. But the stress that employees experience is often the same for each colleague. Nevertheless, one person falls ill but the other does not. Why is that?
While the increasing workload makes some people sick, others can easily take the stress away. Resilience researchers are concerned with why this is so. (Image: Karin & Uwe Annas / fotolia.com) Resources to deal with burdens
This question is pursued at the German Resilience Center (DRZ) in Mainz, the only research center in Germany, according to its own statements, for its emotional resistance to stress. "We believe that people and communities have multiple resources to manage stress and stress. The effect of such protective and self-healing powers is expressed in the best case in the phenomenon of resilience, "the experts write on their website.
Factors to promote resilience
"Resilience exists when individuals do not or only temporarily get sick despite great mental or physical strain. Focusing on mechanisms that underpin resilience, as well as their targeted promotion, promises to provide important impetus for psychiatric research and opens up new opportunities for those affected. "Several factors have already been identified to promote resilience. These include character traits, cognitive abilities and social support.
How the body handles stress
The biochemist Professor Beat Lutz of the Institute of Physiological Chemistry at the University Medical Center Mainz, was involved in the founding of the DRZ. The scientist has been working for years on the inherent processes in the brain, such as the functioning of memory and how the body processes stress.
Think positive
In a message from the news agency dpa, Lutz said, "We want to develop a framework that does not describe a list of resilience factors, but rather brings a system into research that generally describes effective resilience mechanisms." In his opinion, positive thinking is likely one of the factors that prevents people from becoming vulnerable, vulnerable, when they are stressed. This is the counter-concept to resilient, where mental and neurological protection against stress become active.
Messenger substances that act like hashish
The 55-year-old expert has been researching for years about endocannabinoids, endogenous messenger substances that act like hashish and can activate protective mechanisms in the brain - for example, by damping reactions and thus bringing about a balance between different states of arousal. In this way, they can also be a factor for resilience. "Prevention instead of therapy is our concern", says Lutz. "We want to detect problems before they break out."
In view of the high costs of stress-related illnesses such as burnout syndrome, anxiety and depression, it would also make economic sense to prevent it in good time. "Resilience is not born in the cradle," explained Lutz. "It's a dynamic process, you can learn that."
Can you learn resilience?
This is also the opinion of social scientist Andreas Marschel of the Entrepreneur Academy. In a conversation with "Heilpraxisnet.de" on the topic of crisis management in the workplace, he said to the question of whether you can learn resilience: "Yes, in fact, it is possible human behavior, communication, an inner attitude and systemic To learn to think. "
Stress experiences in real life
Researchers are approaching the mystery of resilience in very different ways. In a long-term study that is about to begin, around 1,200 people will be accompanied for at least four years to assess their stress experiences in real life and to analyze them together with psychological and neurological factors. "This is a novelty worldwide," said Lutz on this research project.
"To sharpen the view for one's own strengths"
According to dpa animal experiments are also part of the researchers' instruments - for example, with a zebrafish exposed to simulated bird attacks or a mouse that is stressed by attacks from a stronger mouse. It can be examined whether individual genes, neural networks or certain neurotransmitter systems as carriers of information support resilience.
In the new school year, research into resilience will also be the topic for two high schools in Bad Dürkheim and Nieder-Olm. As Sandra Volz, a teacher at the Werner-Heisenberg-Gymnasium in Bad Dürkheim, explained, the students could become so familiar with scientific work. However, it is not a stated aim of the project to strengthen one's own resilience. "However, an insight into this topic can very well lead to an occupation with one's own person and sharpen one's gaze for one's own strengths."
Relaxation exercises to reduce stress
Resilience has to prove itself in working life, for example, "when a boss treats the subordinates very much and causes great stress," explained Lutz. "Then we have the same situation as with the mice - it is clear that one then avoids such a boss and wants to have nothing to do with him." Frequently, targeted relaxation can also help with the stress in the job
("Https://www.heilpraxisnet.de/naturheilpraxis/selbst-aktiv-werden-so-laesst-sich-stress-im-job-beheben-2016061769288") better cope. Health experts often recommend methods such as yoga or progressive muscle relaxation that can help reduce stress. (Ad)