Please provide the text in German that you would like me to translate to English.

Mr. Ralph Goldschmidt, the art of living is your area of expertise, you know what the right balance between work and personal life entails. How much catching up do we need in terms of work-life balance?

Ralph Goldschmidt: This varies greatly from person to person. However, my impression is that more and more people are caught in the rat race, both professionally and personally. I find the term "work-life balance" quite unfortunate because it suggests that there are two opposing poles that do not belong together, have nothing to do with each other. Here's work, there's life. In addition, the term "work-life balance" is often reduced to the "compatibility of work and family." "Work" is thus reduced to career/employment and "life" to family life. Even the term "balance" is difficult. Many people imagine a scale, where the goal is to keep it at 50:50 and then maintain it there... a very static image. Life is different, dynamic. I prefer to speak of a "life cocktail" that consists of not only career and family. Many more ingredients belong in it, such as friends, sports, education, spirit, money, values, meaning, sex, culture, health, housing, hobbies, etc. Not so easy to mix something really delicious out of it! Why do we find it so difficult to find a healthy balance between work and personal life? Ralph Goldschmidt: From my point of view, it's not about the "healthy middle," but about the right mix in life, which looks very different from person to person. And it can constantly change. I know people who regularly work up to 100 hours a week and find it totally awesome because they are doing "their thing" and are okay with a minimal amount of personal life. This can look completely different in half a year. For others, the job is completely secondary, and friends, family, hobbies, time for oneself, social engagement, etc. are simply more important to them. It's about figuring out what is really, really important to oneself. And then having the courage to do it. Unfortunately, far too few people do that. In all of this, it is also important to accept that not everything is possible and that some price is always due. Is the risk of burning out something gender-specific, or are men and women equally susceptible to it? Ralph Goldschmidt: There are studies in which higher burnout rates were found in women, which in other studies could not be confirmed. The results are likely to depend heavily on the profession being studied. In addition, men tend to have a higher threshold for admitting mental problems than women - both to others and to themselves. The risk of burning out is less related to gender than to individual and workplace-related factors. Individual factors include high demands, unrealistic expectations, seeking recognition (and love) only through performance, a tendency towards perfectionism, and the feeling of having to cope with difficult situations without external help. In the job, factors contributing to burnout include a work environment characterized by work overload and time pressure, lack of participation and control, as well as unfairness and lack of reward, recognition, and community. In your opinion, what influence does the rapid change have on employees burning out? Ralph Goldschmidt: For the effects that Industry 4.0, digitalization, and globalization have on the world of work, the term VUCA-World has become established: the times are volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. It overwhelms us when the speed of change is higher than our own learning speed. We lose control and under stress and uncertainty, we resort to familiar patterns that were successful in the past - but not anymore now. Both leaders and employees are not only expected to somehow go along with the change but also to actively shape and tackle it. For many, this means a radical change in their attitude. According to a major study by the Technical University of Munich, only one in five employees actively drives the necessary change processes, while every second is considered a "brake." For many, a radical change in their attitude is necessary. Appeals like "use change as an opportunity!" are not enough. They need strategies that make change appealing, release energy, and instill courage. The topic is currently very "hot," at least every other lecture request I receive is about this. Do you have some quick tips on how to simply relieve everyday stress? Ralph Goldschmidt: There are a lot of helpful tips. Particularly effective is a short, 10-20 minute nap (power nap) at lunchtime. One of my favorite exercises is the following, it only takes 2-3 minutes: I find a quiet spot, close my eyes, take a deep breath in and then sloooowly exhale. The slowed exhalation is important! I repeat this for a few minutes. And during this breathing exercise, I bring to my mind's eye a place where I feel completely relaxed and comfortable. For me, it's a hammock between two palm trees on an empty beach in northern Brazil, with a Caipirinha in my right hand, lightly swaying it and hearing the ice cubes clinking. It's always the same place. And it's incredible how quickly you can calm down doing this. Try it with a place of your choice! For more information about Ralph Goldschmidt, please visit his profile: https://www.speakers-excellence.de/redner/ralph-goldschmidt-sportwissenschaftler.html

Ralph Goldschmidt - The art of living as a specialty -

Mr. Ralph Goldschmidt, the art of living is your area of expertise, you know what the right balance between work and personal life entails. How much catching up do we need in terms of work-life balance?

You may also be interested in: https://www.ralph-goldschmidt.de/ https://www.zeit.de/2013/01/Kairos-Antike-Magische-Moment

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