When stress gives rise to new strength
Reading time: 6 min
Sometimes it’s not a major upheaval that changes our daily work routine, but a small decision: pausing for a moment, breathing mindfully, setting boundaries. Heiko Mühle shares how this led to greater peace of mind, better sleep, and a newfound joy in his work.
"I started sleeping better right away."
In Germany, approximately 2.5 to 3 million people work in sales. Most of them probably lead lives as demanding as that of Heiko Mühle at the Clouth Group in Hückeswagen. He has been serving customers there for 25 years and is often the one who “makes the impossible possible.” His stress levels rose year after year. Fortunately, he has an employer who looked out for him.
Heiko, what are some of the tasks involved in the life of a sales representative?
The Clouth Group supplies the paper and metal industries with wear parts such as scraper blades, crepe scrapers, and coating blades. I am involved in day-to-day operations as well as troubleshooting and providing on-site customer support. Stressful situations often arise when unforeseen problems pop up that need to be resolved quickly, because paper machines are very expensive. Just one hour of downtime for a large paper machine can cost up to 60,000 EUR. That means we have to act fast. And that’s when stress can really kick in.
"It's important to recognize stress as it begins to build—not just once it's already there."
Heiko Mühle
Why did you Haufe Akademie the training at the Haufe Akademie ?
Because of all the stressful situations, I realized: I have to do something. Things couldn’t go on like this, since I was suffering from acute sleep deprivation, couldn’t concentrate well anymore, and wasn’t performing as well as I used to. Since our company supports proactive seminars, I Haufe Akademie the training offered by the Haufe Akademie . It was atraining Hamburg, and I expected to learn methods for dealing with my stress.
How did those two days go?
During the training , we training just training presentations; we also worked in groups to develop our own strategies and solutions. How to cope with stress, what we can do to protect ourselves. One immediate step I took right during the seminar was to turn off email notifications on my work phone after work—even though I’d previously convinced myself that reading them on the couch in the evening would help me be prepared in the morning. It had an immediate effect. I started sleeping better right away. I also learned some breathing exercises that helped me right away.
Would you like to show us one?
It's really simple: Just sit back and relax, close your eyes, take a deep breath in through your nose, and exhale slowly through your mouth. Do this for a minute, and your heart rate will go down. These techniques, which I learned during the training, have actually become part of my daily routine.
"These techniques, which I learned during the training, have actually become part of my daily routine."
Heiko Mühle
Have you felt a change within yourself?
I feel more balanced, sleep better, and I think I don't get sick as often anymore.
And I think my clients notice that, too. One important thing I’ve learned is actually to recognize stress as it’s building—not just when it’s already there, but when it’s starting to creep in or threaten to take over. I’m definitely happier with my work—or rather, with the way I work. I think that in the long run, the employer benefits from this too, because you enjoy your work. You want to stay with the company because you like it. And that’s a real win-win situation.
More peace and quiet for demanding workdays
Anyone who, like Heiko Mühle, has experienced how small changes can have a big impact will find practical strategies in training “Successful Stress Management” training to help them achieve greater composure, focus, and inner strength in their daily work life.
More Balance
Balance has many facets—in thinking, working, leading, and living. Here you’ll find more inspiring articles from the current issue.
Do you have an exciting story to tell?
If continuing education has helped you take a step "FURTHER," we'd love to hear about it. Submit your success story—and with a little luck, we'll share it together in an interview.
