Crises are human – and cost us a lot
No matter how firmly we stand with both feet in (professional) life, there are situations and events that can throw even the most stable woman off course. A difficult separation. An illness in the family. The death of a loved one or pet. A dismissal. A project that has failed miserably.
Even positive developments such as a new addition to the family or a promotion can trigger a crisis if they overwhelm our previous coping strategies. And as much as we would like the opposite to be true: Crises have the unpleasant characteristic of not respecting our neatly defined boundaries between private and professional life. When we suffer, our performance suffers in all areas. That’s what makes us human.
Fortunately, the topic of mental health is receiving more and more attention, including in a professional context. From a purely economic perspective, companies and entrepreneurs have good reason to do so, as the costs of sick leave and job vacancies due to mental stress are enormous.
However, it is often overlooked that it is not only mental disorders that lead to these absences, but increasingly also stress reactions and adjustment disorders that can occur temporarily in the context of crises (source: DAK Psychreport 2024). Added to this are the costs, which are difficult to quantify, that arise when key people in the company are unable to perform as usual due to excessive demands.
What are the benefits of resilience coaching in a crisis?
As a coach and grief counselor, I regularly work with professionals and managers who want professional support in overcoming difficult private and/or personal challenges. As crisis coaching doesn’t sound particularly glamorous, I personally now like to use the term resilience coaching, as it is essentially about strengthening my clients’ resilience in the long term and expanding their scope for action in challenging times.
The content and objectives of resilience coaching in crises include
- Reflection on difficult situations in everyday (professional) life
- Development of coping strategies for dealing with stress
- Awareness and prioritization of your own values and needs
- Healthy demarcation from the expectations of others
- Development of sustainable and effective work routines
- Preparing for and following up on difficult conversations with colleagues, managers and employees
- Teaching methods for dealing with stress
- Reflection and strengthening of self-image and self-esteem
Coaching in crises enables specialists and managers to deal more consciously with life’s inevitable setbacks and not lose sight of their passion for their profession. Even after a long period of illness or when starting a new job, resilience coaching can help to steer everyday working life in a healthy direction right from the start. Ideally, it should start before the persistent psychological strain leads to the development of manifest symptoms and disorders that force employees to take sick leave and/or seek therapeutic support. Coaching does not replace psychotherapy, but in some cases it can usefully complement or follow on from it.
How do I get support?
If you are going through tough times as a specialist and manager and are recognizing the first warning signs of persistent overload, it is time to act. Talk to your HR manager about the possibility of getting support in the form of professional coaching. Coaching at work is not a luxury for top performers, but an effective tool for personnel development that can have a huge impact, especially in challenging times and periods of upheaval. Provided you don’t insist on being taken under the wing of a high-priced celebrity coach, coaching is quite affordable for companies – especially in comparison to the costs that can arise from absences and vacancies.
As a rule, companies give their employees the freedom to choose which coach they want. Feel free to book introductory sessions with different providers so that you can get an impression of the variety of personalities, topics and methods. Once you have found a person with whom you have the right professional chemistry, get an offer for the coaching in consultation with your company. Make sure that not only the fee meets your expectations, but that the coaching also fits in well with your everyday working life in terms of time and format so that it does not become an additional burden.
In my experience, the framework conditions and formalities are often the minor obstacle when it comes to seeking coaching. The hardest and most important step is to confidently communicate your need for support. Let me tell you from the bottom of my heart: The world loses a little bit of its luster when power women like you aren’t standing in their power. Empowering yourself in difficult times is not only an act of self-care, but also a great gift to all the people whose lives you positively influence.
About the author
Hallo, ich bin Christina!
Als Sozialpädagogin, Coach und Trauerbegleiterin stehe ich Menschen genau an den Stationen des Lebens zur Seite, die normalerweise nicht so gerne im Reiseführer gezeigt werden: in privat oder beruflich herausfordernden Zeiten, nach dem Tod eines geliebten Menschen oder Haustiers, Trennungen und anderen Umbruchsphasen, die eine persönliche Neuorientierung notwendig machen.
Ich bin der festen Überzeugung, dass gerade die Täler und Umwege des Lebens uns dazu herausfordern, uns zu vielschichtigen, starken und mitfühlenden Persönlichkeiten zu entwickeln. Mit Herzblut, Erfahrung und einer deftigen Prise fränkischem Humor unterstütze ich meine Klient:innen dabei, diese Herausforderung anzunehmen.
