START-with-Gudrun, Kampstraße 6, Lehrte (2025)

13/11/2025

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I ran six marathons before realising I was handling stress all wrong. Here's how marathon psychology can transform your approach to workplace overwhelm and burnout.

07/11/2025

Untangle Your Mind, Unwind Your Stress: The Power of Mind Mapping!

Ever feel like your brain is a chaotic whirlwind of to-dos, worries, and half-formed ideas, leaving you feeling utterly overwhelmed and stressed out? You're not alone. In our fast-paced world, mental clutter can quickly escalate into a full-blown mental mess, hijacking our peace of mind and productivity. But what if there was a simple, yet incredibly powerful tool to help you bring order to that chaos, gain clarity, and significantly reduce your stress levels?

Enter Mind Mapping.

Mind mapping isn't just for brainstorming brilliant ideas (though it's fantastic for that!). It's a dynamic visual thinking technique that can become your secret weapon against stress and overwhelm. Instead of letting those anxious thoughts endlessly loop in your head, mind mapping provides a tangible, visual space to offload and process them, ultimately gaining control.

How does mind mapping specifically help reduce stress?

1. It Gets Everything Out of Your Head: The sheer act of externalising your thoughts, worries, and tasks onto a page is incredibly therapeutic. When your brain isn't constantly trying to remember everything, it can finally relax, freeing up mental bandwidth and reducing cognitive load – a huge source of stress.
2. It Brings Clarity to Chaos: When your thoughts are jumbled, everything feels equally urgent and overwhelming. A mind map forces you to organise these thoughts visually. You start with a central "stressor" or "overwhelm" topic, and then branch out into contributing factors, specific tasks, concerns, or emotions. Suddenly, the tangled mess transforms into a clear, organised overview.
3. It Helps You Prioritise and Plan: Once you see all your stressors laid out, it becomes much easier to identify what's truly important, what can wait, and what might even be unnecessary. You can then use your mind map to break down overwhelming tasks into smaller, manageable steps, creating a clear action plan that feels achievable rather than daunting.
4. It Uncovers Solutions and Connections: By visually connecting related ideas and problems, you'll often discover solutions or new perspectives you wouldn't have seen otherwise. The non-linear nature of mind mapping encourages creative problem-solving, turning obstacles into opportunities.
5. It Helps Process Emotions: Stress often comes with a host of emotions – anxiety, frustration, sadness. You can create a mind map centred around a specific emotion or a stressful situation, branching out to explore its triggers, its physical sensations, and healthy coping mechanisms. This visual processing can lead to a deeper understanding of oneself and improved emotional regulation.
6. It Gives You a Sense of Control: When you feel overwhelmed, you often feel a loss of control. Mind mapping puts you back in the driver's seat. You're actively engaging with your challenges, organising them, and strategising solutions. This proactive approach is incredibly empowering and a powerful antidote to stress.

Ready to give it a try? Here’s a quick start:
- Grab a blank piece of paper and some colored pens (or use a digital mind mapping tool).
- In the centre, write or draw your primary source of stress or the feeling of overwhelm itself.
- Draw main branches for key categories like "Tasks," "Worries," "Relationships," "Health," or "Emotions."
- From those main branches, add sub-branches with specific details, thoughts, or actions. Use keywords and simple images.
- Connect related ideas across different branches to see the bigger picture.

Don't aim for perfection – aim for getting everything out of your head! You'll be amazed at how much lighter and clearer your mind feels after just one session.

So, if you're battling that persistent mental mess, I wholeheartedly encourage you to embrace mind mapping. It's a simple, accessible, and profoundly effective way to untangle your thoughts, reduce stress, and reclaim your mental peace.

What's one area of your life where mind mapping could help you reduce stress right now? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

06/11/2025

Find Your Calm with Mind Mapping

Is your mind racing with a million thoughts? Mind mapping is like a gentle brain dump that brings instant calm. By visually organising your ideas, worries, and tasks, you externalise the chaos, creating space for clarity and peace. Watch your jumbled thoughts transform into an organised map, and feel the calm wash over you.

27/10/2025

Ever find yourself in that frustrating loop where your mind is racing, your body is tense, and the very thought of "relaxing" feels like an impossible task? You're not alone. In our fast-paced world, feeling overwhelmed can become a constant companion, making true calm seem like a distant dream. It's not about magically erasing your to-do list or solving all your problems in one go; it's about finding small anchors of peace when the storm feels most intense.

When you're overwhelmed, your nervous system is often in overdrive, making it difficult to simply "switch off." The usual advice to "just relax" can feel dismissive and unhelpful. Instead, we need strategies that gently guide us back to a state of equilibrium, even if just for a few moments.

Here are a few ways to find your calm when relaxation feels out of reach:
- Anchor in Your Breath: This might sound basic, but intentional breathing can be incredibly powerful. Try the 4-7-8 technique: Inhale deeply through your nose for 4 counts, hold your breath for 7 counts, and then exhale completely through your mouth for 8 counts. Repeat this a few times. It helps to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, signalling to your body that it's safe to calm down.
- Engage Your Senses with Grounding: When your mind is spiraling, bring yourself back to the present moment. Try the 5-4-3-2-1 method:
- 5 things you can see: Look around and name them.
- 4 things you can touch: Feel the texture of your clothes, a desk, your hair.
- 3 things you can hear: Listen for distant sounds, your own breathing.
- 2 things you can smell: Take a deep sniff – coffee, a candle, fresh air.
- 1 thing you can taste: A sip of water, a mint, or even just the taste in your mouth.
- Break It Down (Micro-Steps): The sheer volume of tasks can be paralysing. Instead of looking at the mountain, pick one *tiny* pebble. What's the absolute smallest, most manageable thing you can do right now? Even if it's just sending one email, making one phone call, or writing down one item from your mental list. Accomplishing that small thing can create a ripple effect of calm and control.
- Mindful Movement (Even for 2 Minutes): You don't need a full yoga session. Stand up, stretch your arms overhead, roll your shoulders, gently twist your torso. Go for a quick walk around the block. Movement helps release stored tension and can shift your focus from internal chaos to external sensation.
- Create a Sensory Sanctuary: What brings you comfort? Light a calming candle, put on some instrumental music, sip a warm cup of tea, or wrap yourself in a soft blanket. Engaging these comforting sensations can create a mini-retreat for your overwhelmed mind, even if your environment is still busy.
- Journal Your Brain Dump: Sometimes, the overwhelm comes from too many thoughts swirling around without an outlet. Grab a pen and paper and just write everything that's on your mind. Don't censor, don't edit, just let it all out. Seeing it on paper can help you gain perspective and feel less burdened.

Remember, finding calm isn't about perfection; it's about practice and self-compassion. Be kind to yourself as you navigate these moments. Even a few minutes of intentional calm can make a significant difference in your day.

What's your go-to strategy when you feel overwhelmed and can't seem to relax? Share your tips in the comments below – let's support each other! 👇

26/10/2025

Forget grand gestures—stress relief starts with the everyday. Well-crafted routines are the unseen architects of calm, adding predictability in a chaotic world. Practical tips here: https://open.substack.com/pub/startwithgudrun/p/the-unseen-architects-of-calm-how?r=5dl347&utm_medium=ios

25/10/2025

Pros
- The experience of overwhelm can function as a metacognitive signal of capacity limits, prompting task simplification and prioritization consistent with bounded rationality (Simon, 1957; Sweller, 1988).
- Temporary indecision can facilitate additional information search and social consultation, which has been associated with improved calibration and accuracy of judgments (Kahneman, 2011).
- Defaulting to the status quo can mitigate avoidable losses when option values are highly ambiguous and error costs are asymmetric (Samuelson & Zeckhauser, 1988).
- Strategic delay can enable incubation, during which off-line processing is associated with insight generation and solution quality gains (Sio & Ormerod, 2009).

Cons
- Decision paralysis increases delay costs and opportunity loss, thereby reducing expected utility even when better information is ultimately obtained (Iyengar & Lepper, 2000).
- Cognitive overload degrades working-memory function and schema acquisition, which impairs reasoning quality and task performance (Sweller, 1988).
- Prolonged indecision elevates stress and allostatic load, increasing the risk of adverse affective and physiological outcomes (McEwen, 1998).
- Rumination associated with decision avoidance is linked to depressive affect and poorer problem-solving efficacy (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2000).
- Coordination failures and diffusion of responsibility can emerge in groups when leaders or members remain indecisive, imposing organizational efficiency losses (March & Simon, 1958).

References
- Iyengar, S. S., & Lepper, M. R. (2000). When choice is demotivating: Can one desire too much of a good thing? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(6), 995–1006.
- Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
- March, J. G., & Simon, H. A. (1958). Organizations. New York: Wiley.
- McEwen, B. S. (1998). Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators. New England Journal of Medicine, 338(3), 171–179.
- Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2000). The role of rumination in depressive disorders and mixed anxiety/depressive symptoms. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109(3), 504–511.
- Samuelson, W., & Zeckhauser, R. (1988). Status quo bias in decision making. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, 1(1), 7–59.
- Simon, H. A. (1957). Models of Man: Social and Rational. New York: Wiley.
- Sio, U. N., & Ormerod, T. C. (2009). Does incubation enhance problem solving? A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 135(1), 94–120.
- Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive Science, 12(2), 257–285.

18/10/2025

I quit my dream job at the peak of my career.

Best decision I ever made. 💪

Picture this scenario: You're climbing what everyone calls "success" - corner office, impressive title, salary that makes your parents proud.

But your body is screaming.

The breaking point wasn't dramatic. It was a Tuesday morning when I realized I hadn't felt genuine excitement about work in months.

That's when the psychology hit me:

We chase external validation so hard that we lose internal compass.

Here's what stress taught me about true success:

→ Your energy is your currency, not your time
→ Sustainable pacing beats sprint mentality
→ Internal fulfillment creates lasting performance

Think of life like a marathon. Most people sprint the first mile, then crash at mile 10.

Real winners pace themselves strategically. 🏃‍♀️

Now I help others recognize when career success is actually creating life failure.

What's one sign that told you your "success" wasn't serving you?

Share your moment of realization below - your story might be exactly what someone else needs to hear today.

17/10/2025

The Great Resilience Gap: Why Your Team Isn't As Resilient As You Think They Are

I've spent years working with leadership teams who confidently declare their organisations "highly resilient" - only to discover their teams tell a completely different story when asked privately.

This disconnect isn't just common - it's dangerous.

Leaders consistently overestimate team resilience by 35-40% compared to what team members actually report experiencing. This isn't speculation - I've witnessed this pattern repeatedly across industries and company sizes.

The consequences? Declining performance, rising turnover, and leadership teams genuinely confused about why their "resilient culture" isn't delivering results.

The Resilience Perception Problem

Most leaders assess resilience based on what they can observe: deadlines met, targets achieved, projects completed. The team delivered despite challenges, therefore they must be resilient... right?

What remains invisible is the cost paid beneath the surface: exhaustion disguised as dedication, stress masked as focus, and burnout presenting as high performance - until it suddenly doesn't.

The resilience gap exists between appearing to bounce back and actually having the resources to do so sustainably.

Why Traditional Approaches Fall Short

The standard leadership playbook for building resilience typically includes:

Wellness programs that treat symptoms rather than causes

Resilience workshops that teach coping without addressing workload

Motivational messaging that inadvertently glorifies overwork

Crisis management rather than prevention

These approaches miss a fundamental truth: true resilience isn't about enduring more pressure - it's about creating systems that distribute pressure appropriately and allow for genuine recovery.

Bridging the Gap: A Different Approach

The most effective resilience-building methodology I've encountered begins with something most approaches skip entirely: acknowledging the gap exists and measuring it accurately.

In our START methodology, we've found that resilient teams aren't created through inspiration or individual grit, but through intentional systems that:

Build capacity before it's needed, not during a crisis.

Create psychological safety for honest dialogue about capacity.

Establish workload management practices that prioritise sustainability.y

Measure recovery as rigorously as performance.ce

Train leaders to recognise early warning signs of systemic strain

When organisations implement these practices, the resilience gap narrows measurably - not because teams endure more, but because systems support genuine recovery and sustainable performance.

The Hidden Performance Opportunity

Here's what's fascinating: organisations that close their resilience gap don't just prevent burnout - they unlock performance potential that was previously inaccessible.

Teams with aligned resilience perceptions (where leaders and team members share an accurate understanding of capacity) consistently demonstrate:

Higher innovation rates during challenging periods

More effective cross-functional collaboration

Greater adaptability to changing circumstances

Substantially higher retention of key talent

The competitive advantage isn't just about preventing problems - it's about accessing performance heights that strained systems cannot reach.

Starting the Conversation

If you're wondering about the resilience gap in your organisation, begin with these questions:

How do we currently measure team resilience? Are we looking at sustainable indicators or just short-term output?

When was the last time we anonymously asked team members about their capacity and recovery?

Do our performance metrics include sustainability factors, or do they incentivise unseen strain?

How do we distinguish between healthy stretching and unhealthy straining?

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Have you experienced the resilience gap in your organisation? What approaches have you found effective in bridging it?

16/10/2025

Ever notice how a simple comment from your boss can ruin your entire day?

It's not about the feedback. It's about what got activated inside you.

I spent years overreacting to criticism at work before I understood why.

The truth? Your sensitivity to feedback today is often directly connected to how criticism was handled in your childhood.

Think about it:

In childhood, criticism might have been:

• Delivered with shame or humiliation
• Used as a tool for control
• Given without any balancing praise
• Unsafe to respond to or question

These experiences don't just disappear when we grow up.

They become the invisible template for how we experience feedback as adults.

I've observed this pattern countless times in professional development:

When childhood criticism felt unsafe, the adult brain interprets workplace feedback as a threat.

The good news? You can rewire this response.

Imagine receiving criticism and feeling curious instead of crushed.

The path there involves:

1. Recognising when you're triggered (racing heart, defensive thoughts)
2. Pausing before responding (create space between stimulus and response)
3. Getting curious about what's being activated (what old story is playing?)
4. Responding to the actual content, not the emotional echo

This isn't about dismissing valid emotional responses.

It's about understanding their source so they don't control your professional growth.

The shift from reactivity to response doesn't happen overnight. But with practice and awareness, you can transform criticism from a trigger to a tool.

What's your experience with feedback sensitivity? Does this childhood connection resonate with you?

14/10/2025

Is your brain a tangled ball of stress? 🧶 Mind mapping is a powerful visual tool to untangle the chaos!

Start with "My Stress" in the center. Branch out to main categories (Work, Relationships, Finances), then add specific worries. Crucially, brainstorm solutions and actions for each! Use keywords, colors, and don't judge your thoughts – just get them out.

This process declutters your mind, helps identify root causes, and gives you a sense of control. Ready to find clarity and calm? Try it! 👇

14/10/2025

Ever felt like your brain is a chaotic mess, a tangled ball of yarn where worries, to-do lists, and anxieties all swirl together, making focus and relaxation feel impossible? In our fast-paced world, stress often feels like a constant companion, manifesting as sleepless nights, irritability, and that crushing sense of overwhelm. When your mental space is cluttered, finding clarity can seem like an unattainable dream.

But what if there was a simple, yet potent tool to untangle that mental mess? A way to visually organise your thoughts, pinpoint your stressors, and even brainstorm effective solutions? That's precisely where Mind Mapping comes in.

At its heart, a mind map is a visual thinking tool that mirrors how our brains naturally work – non-linearly, associatively. You begin with a central topic, perhaps "My Stress," and from there, you branch out with related ideas, using keywords, images, and colours to connect concepts. This process offers several profound benefits for stress management. First, it powerfully declutters your mind; simply getting those swirling thoughts out of your head and onto paper significantly reduces mental load, much like emptying a messy drawer to see what you're working with. Second, it helps you identify root causes, allowing you to spot patterns and address underlying issues rather than just reacting to symptoms. Third, once those stressors are clear, you can effectively brainstorm solutions, creating branches for potential actions, coping mechanisms, or even people who can offer support. Fourth, mind mapping helps you prioritise and organise; when everything is laid out visually, it becomes much easier to discern what's urgent, what's important, and what can be delegated or eliminated, drastically reducing that overwhelming feeling. Finally, it grants you perspective and control; seeing your stress visually mapped out empowers you, shifting you from being a victim of your thoughts to actively engaging with them.

Ready to try it for yourself? Here's a quick guide: Start with a central topic like "My Stressors" on a blank page. Then, create main branches for broad categories of stress in your life, such as "Work," "Relationships," or "Finances." From those main branches, extend sub-branches with specific details – for example, under "Work," you might list "Deadlines" or "Difficult Colleague." Next, in each particular stressor, add another layer of sub-branches for potential solutions or actions you can take. Throughout this process, remember to use single keywords, small drawings, and different colours to make your map visually engaging and personal. The most crucial tip? Don't judge your thoughts; get everything out of your head to externalise them.

While mind mapping isn't a magic cure, it is a potent first step towards truly understanding and managing your stress. It provides a clear roadmap to navigate your inner world. So, the next time overwhelm strikes, grab a blank page and some pens. You might be genuinely surprised by the clarity you uncover.

Have you ever used mind mapping to tackle stress or organise your thoughts? What are your go-to techniques for staying calm under pressure? Share your insights and experiences in the comments below! 👇

13/10/2025

Feeling like your stress is a tangled knot in your brain, making it impossible to think straight or find a moment of peace? You're not alone. The sheer volume of worries, tasks, and anxieties can be utterly overwhelming. But what if there was a simple, visual way to untangle that knot, gain clarity, and start finding solutions?

Enter the powerful practice of Mind Mapping for Stress Management. It's not just for organising projects; it's a profound tool for externalising your inner chaos and bringing order to your mental landscape. By literally drawing out your stress, you shift it from an abstract, overwhelming feeling into something concrete and manageable. This act of putting pen to paper (or finger to screen) immediately reduces mental load, helping you see the forest *and* the trees of your worries.

Ready to give it a try? Here's a step-by-step guide on how to mind map your stress:

1. Start with Your Central Topic: Grab a blank piece of paper and some colourful pens. In the very centre, write down your core feeling or the overall problem, such as "My Stressors," "Feeling Overwhelmed," or "Anxiety About X." Then, draw a circle around it. This is the heart of your map.

2. Branch Out with Main Categories: Think about the major areas of your life where stress originates. These become your main branches radiating from the centre. Common categories include "Work," "Relationships," "Finances," "Health," "Future Worries," or "Personal Obligations." Don't overthink it; just get the big themes down.

3. Add Specific Sub-Branches (The Details): From each main branch, extend smaller sub-branches with specific stressors. For example, under "Work," you might have "Deadlines," "Difficult Colleague," "Heavy Workload," or "Fear of Layoffs." Under "Finances," it could be "Bills," "Savings Goal," or "Unexpected Expense." Get as granular as you need to be.

4. Brainstorm Solutions & Actions: Now, for the empowering part! From those specific stressors, create *another* set of sub-branches for potential solutions, actions you can take, or coping mechanisms. For "Deadlines," maybe "Break task into smaller steps," "Ask for help," or "Prioritise." For "Difficult Colleague," consider "Set boundaries," "Talk to HR," or "Practice active listening." This is where you transform passive worry into active problem-solving.

5. Embrace Keywords, Images & Colours: Mind maps thrive on visual appeal! Use single keywords or short phrases instead of complete sentences. Add small drawings, symbols, or even just squiggles to represent ideas or emotions. Use different colours for different branches or levels of importance – this makes your map visually engaging and helps your brain process information more effectively.

A Crucial Tip: During this entire process, do not judge your thoughts or feelings. The goal is simply to externalise everything that's swirling in your head. Let it all out. The act of seeing it laid out visually provides immense clarity and a sense of control.

Mind mapping isn't about eliminating stress entirely, but about giving you a clear, actionable roadmap to understand it, manage it, and ultimately, respond to it with greater intention and calm. It empowers you to shift from being a victim of your stress to becoming its architect.

Ready to draw your way to a calmer mind? Grab that paper and those pens!

Have you tried mind mapping for stress before? What insights did you gain? Share your experience below! 👇

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