When you're running on empty – Job Balance can help
Alexandra Sasidharan-Scherrer
If no-one else was prepared to do the work, she did it. Ivana never learned how to say no or set boundaries for herself – not even in her job as a head of department at one of Switzerland's biggest retailers. When her father fell ill last year, she made frequent trips to visit him. Having to travel long distances and leave work unfinished became a strain. When she asked for help but none was forthcoming, she took care of everything herself instead of delegating it to her colleagues. She had expected support from her boss, but he assumed she would cope with the day-to-day challenges.
The competing demands of her work on the shop floor and her managerial responsibilities continued to grow until she could no longer cope with them. She was unhappy, stressed and overwhelmed. Now in her mid-forties, she had spent 15 years in the same store and used to love her job, until a change became unavoidable. Looking back, Ivana explains: "I had to get help for the sake of my health." She was unaware that by this point she had already been experiencing burnout for a long time. She was suffering from tinnitus, anxiety and circulatory problems. Her most loyal customers also noticed the change. She decided to consult her occupational welfare officer and explain the situation to her.
A positive approach to stress
Ivana was registered in the Job Balance programme provided by santé24 and says herself: "I came to Ramona Stüble at just the right time." Even the very small steps that she was able to incorporate successfully into her day-to-day life showed her that psychological coaching helps. Ivana is now more self-confident, because through conversations and self-reflection she has learned to take care of her health, accept help and set boundaries – without feeling guilty about it. She has also learned to adopt a positive approach to stress, delegate work and accept that others may then handle tasks differently.
Ramona Stüble remained in close contact with her client and – after Ivana had waived her confidentiality – with the occupational welfare officer throughout the two-month support period. Together they devised and discussed various different scenarios; a change of workplace was also considered. In the end, Ivana decided to make a fresh start in a different store. After a fortnight's holiday, she recently started as a deputy head of department.
She is enjoying it. She has a patient manager who takes the time to answer her IT-related questions. She continues to take care of her health, treating herself to some downtime in the hammam or going out for meals or to dance with her favourite colleague. She is glad that the psychological coaching she received through the Job Balance programme very quickly taught her specific, practical strategies that she can use to maintain stability, spelling long-term success for both sides.
*Name known to the editors
Job Balance: proactively investing in mental health
Job Balance, an online programme provided by santé24, is aimed at companies looking to make a targeted and effective investment in their employees' mental health in order to reduce absence costs of around 1250 francs per day.
An initial consultation takes place to determine whether psychological coaching (e.g. for stress, workplace conflicts, personal pressures, illness, etc.) or guided online self-help training (e.g. for anxiety, sleep problems or burnout) is more appropriate in each case. The rapid, professional support from an expert psychologist can be fitted flexibly around employees' professional commitments, since the appointments take place over the telephone or via video call.
You can find further information and a contact form at www.swica.ch/jobbalance.
