Nina Ruge: How to Find Peace and Happiness in Stressful Times!
1: The Constant Swarm of Thoughts Who doesn't know this? Even while brushing your teeth, your thoughts are somewhere else: either events from the previous day occupy us, or we are already thinking about future obligations. "This is fatal," says Nina Ruge, "only when we are truly present, are we alert, alive, energized, and able to experience moments of happiness." She refers to a Harvard study. According to it, the average person is mentally absent for about 50 percent of their waking time. And the more someone is mentally absent, the greater the feeling of unhappiness. "It's not that we control our thoughts, but our thoughts control us, especially in stressful times!" 2: Why We Need a Shift in Consciousness According to Nina Ruge, the solution can only be a shift in consciousness, which we need as intensely today as never before. "The acceleration, diversification, individualization, globalization - they affect at least all those who have demanding jobs. And it is precisely the extremely conscientious people who are troubled by the flood of their thoughts." 3: I am proud of my razor-sharp mind, but... Nina Ruge made it clear that everyone can be proud of their razor-sharp mind. "Whenever I need it, I use it, wonderful!" Besides the mind, there is also an "inner strength" that can only unfold when the mental flow of the mind comes to rest. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Nina Ruge on the everyday drugs we all love - success, recognition, admiration: “I still find successful, beautiful, and committed people amazing. But today, what matters to me is whether they are passionate about the cause - or about their ego.”
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4: The Dilemma of a Journalist "Journalists are trained to only respect and accept what is definable, and the 'inner strength' is not definable. That is my dilemma," explains Ruge, "but humanity has been aware of this inner strength since time immemorial. It exists, but is not graspable by words, only by images and analogies."
5: The Toolbox If one is able to harness the inner strength, Ruge continues, many things change. How do we calm the thoughts and the mind and open ourselves to the inner strength? For this, Nina Ruge has a "toolbox" ready. "The red traffic light, the railroad crossing, the line at the cash register. All of these are wonderful opportunities for conscious little escapes! Pause, breathe deeply, observe. Look at the world, in detail, with sharpened attention." To create a vigilant consciousness, says Nina Ruge, a formula or sentence ("Everything will be fine") can be very helpful, as well as recalling a special moment of happiness in life, especially in stressful times.
6: The Long Road to a Different Consciousness "Fully engaging in what we do, whether professionally or privately, is easier said than done," Ruge points out, "because there is always something that disturbs, the grumpy spouse or the traffic jam on the way to the supermarket." Therefore, it is important to start with a training program to break out of established patterns. Ruge: "We know from neuroscience that our personality, our way of thinking, feeling, and then deciding what to do or not to do, are so deeply ingrained neurally that it takes forever to retrain our habits. So, it is important to have a clear goal and then embark on the journey, knowing that it will take a long time for my perception and behavior to actually change."
7: Life as a Joyful "Shout-Dance" "Stress" - a toxic blend of deadline pressure, performance pressure, multitasking, "everything-at-once-but-quickly-please" can completely block us. Nina Ruge knows this only too well from her own experience. In stressful times, humor can also be very helpful. Therefore, "reacting humorously" should also be part of the personal toolbox. But for many, a longer learning process and a reprogramming of old reflexes are required. Ruge: "I had to learn it myself. In the 50s and 60s, dealing with humor was not common. It was not present in my parents' house." She continues to train herself to react humorously. "Many of my friends are highly performance-driven people who unfortunately do not react with humor in many situations," regrets Nina Ruge, "although it would be possible to perceive life as a joyful shout-dance. We just need to clarify what is truly important. We can actually laugh about everything else."
