A guest article by Dr. Anna Maria Rostomyan
In this guest post, Dr. Anna Maria Rostomyan, mental health and emotional intelligence expert, shares valuable tips for strengthening our mental resilience in an increasingly digitized world. Learn how to better meet the challenges of modern life and live a more balanced life.
The world is changing faster than ever before. People have to cope with various challenges in the digital transformation. Mental health has become one of the most important and urgent issues for the population worldwide, especially in view of the current digitalization and coronavirus conditions.
People no longer feel secure about the future and fear for the well-being of their loved ones, as well as for their own lives and health. Especially in times of digitization and professional mobility, even from the home office, many employees lose the boundary between work-life balance, which often leads to fatigue, physical and mental exhaustion and various other psychological ailments, as they do not take enough rest and do not recover often enough to generate energy again, which is very important for better performance.
This is precisely why a number of correlated mental disorders occur, such as stress, anxiety, and even more serious health problems such as burnout and depression. In this context, it is noteworthy that such mental health problems are not only typical of our present era, but have also been present throughout human history, as the examples of King Lear, Leo Tolstoy and Vincent van Gogh show us. Although we have to note that such cases have increased drastically nowadays, most likely due to digitization and the pandemic. Among the famous stars affected by such disruptions and problems are Mariah Carey, Lindsey Lohan, Amanda Bynes, Britney Spears, J.K. Rowling and many others. As we can see, this is also associated with celebrity, because such people are often very hard-working, work without rest periods and sometimes lose the ground under their feet. A dissertation can also sometimes lead to fatigue, as you constantly have to work under strict deadlines. That’s why you should plan enough sleep and rest periods.
Since we are constantly faced with daily stress, we need to learn and apply some management techniques so as not to become emotionally and mentally exhausted.
Here are my 10 tips from my own experience that are sure to help you:
- Adequate sleep: Although it varies from person to person, it usually takes 7-9 hours of sleep to maintain a healthy daily routine and regain energy. It is noteworthy here that sleep disorders can also lead to depression.
- Good nutrition: Eat well and enough to live a healthier and more productive life. So do not forget about proper nutrition, even if you are overloaded with work. Sometimes you can also indulge in good restaurants or try a new recipe yourself to feed and delight the family.
- Vitamins: Vitamins are a source of energy, as research has shown that deficiencies in vitamins such as vitamin C, D, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids can lead to fatigue, fatigue, and depression.
- Meditate daily: As Ariana Huffington says, “If you have a busy schedule, you should meditate more often and longer so as not to exhaust yourself.” This does not necessarily mean a formal meditation, but also a few minutes a day alone in nature or in a room with your inner thoughts, feelings and motivations. Relaxing music can also be helpful here.
- Walks: Walking activates your muscles and ensures good circulation in your body. Doctors recommend a 30-40 minute walk in nature for your mental health. Exercise and fitness also support you in the fight against stress and mental problems.
- Sunlight: Sunlight is a very good and natural source of vitamin D, which fights your fatigue. It’s also good for your bones and immune system, which overall helps fight tiredness and fatigue.
- Environment: The environment is also very important for your mental health because we are influenced by the people around us. It is therefore highly recommended to surround yourself with positive people, because as Albert Einstein truthfully said, “Stay away from negative people, as they pose a problem to any solution.” In fact, emotionally connecting with the right positive people can help us a lot overcome exhaustion.
- Mindset: A positive mindset helps you see the good in any situation. Therefore, it is recommended to maintain a positive attitude, be optimistic, and think happy thoughts that will help you see your problems from a positive perspective.
- Internet Detox: Detoxify yourself from the social media channels once in a while, as it is also relevant for healing. In addition, social media is often overloaded with negative conflict conversations, such as on political and personal issues, which can hinder the healing process.
- Dance: Since ancient times, people danced in tribes to drive away the negative forces. Dancing can really put you in a positive mood that lifts your mind and helps overcome stress, exhaustion, and burnout. There is also dance therapy. My advice: Dance to shake off the stress!
Apply the given tips, and you will feel a big difference.
In this regard, I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that your emotions play a very important role in coping with stress. You need to recognize both your emotions and the emotions of others in order to successfully deal with a stressful situation. Not paying attention to your own emotions can have a very negative impact on your health. Not paying attention to the emotions of others can also have a quite negative effect on your relationships, which can also affect your health. Therefore, you should pay close attention to your emotions in order to be able to lead a healthy life as a result.
This is where emotional intelligence (EQ/EI) can help you a lot, which will greatly improve your interpersonal and communication skills. Fortunately, EQ is not an innate skill and can be developed and expanded through coaching and exercises.
Empathy, the largest part of EQ, is very important for relationship and self-management. One should consider one’s own emotions and the emotions of others, which has the potential to increase well-being – possible only with self-confidence.
As Peter Amendt rightly said: “Empathy is a gift that is lacking from those who know only themselves.”
So be honest with yourself and recognize when you feel strong negative or positive emotions, such as fear, anger, sadness, joy, serenity, or well-being.
One last piece of advice from me: Be honest with yourself and admit to yourself if you have a health problem. Take time to identify your emotions, strengths, and weaknesses, and seek professional help if necessary. Read a lot about the topic, learn how other people deal with it, and become a master in dealing with stress in times of digitization when many are overwhelmed. The results will not be long in coming and will convince you.
About the author
Dr. Anna Maria Rostomyan is Assistant Professor of English Language, EQ coach, international author and lecturer at the Berlin School of Business and Innovation (BSBI). She is the bestselling author of the book
“Business Communication Management: The Key to Emotional Intelligence”,
which was published in late 2020 in Hamburg, Germany. In 2022, her dissertation on cognitive analysis of emotions was also published as a book entitled “The Ultimate Force of Emotions in Communication” in English in Düren (Germany) and received very positive feedback from readers. She is also the author of the monthly blog “Emotions in our Lives“
on LinkedIn.