via: Britta Jansen
general
Goes – Do you feel like the world is moving too fast sometimes? Is this too much expected of you? So you are not alone and you are definitely not “crazy.” Realizing this is the first step to improving your mental health.
With the advent of the computer and smartphone, our world has become much faster over the past 25 years or so, and we receive many more stimuli in a single day. “Our brain was not built for this,” Astrid Hartog explains. She's a coach and has been fascinated with the workings of our brains her whole life. They try to adapt to new circumstances, as humans always develop, but this requires a longer period of time than a quarter of a century. This leads to people feeling that they cannot keep up with the pace of society.
meaning
You have good mental health if you feel good overall in your life, such as your health, relationships, and work. In Astrid's eyes, it is important for our mental health to experience meaning, and to find value in what we do. “There will always be periods in your life when things are less good, but that's not a problem, because then you discover your resilience. But if you don't feel good about yourself for a long time, you go into stress mode. Your body will produce hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Stress, as it were, tells your brain that there is danger. This causes your brain to search for danger and you end up in a downward spiral. Your brain begins to see the dangers of everything, which is why you keep producing stress hormones. This can lead to depression and burnout.
knowledge
The mental health of Dutch people has shown a negative trend in recent years. “Research conducted by the Trimbus Institute (National Knowledge Institute for Mental Health, Addiction Care and Social Care, editors) shows that 67.8 percent of students in higher education have complaints of burnout. This is quite a lot. This percentage is 20% among staff and 11.7% among leaders Business Self-Employed. Astrid would like to see more attention to mental health. This starts in primary school. “It's important that we gain an insight into how our brain works from an early age and that there is room in school to discover who you are and what you want. Because we can do a lot, but not everything makes us happy, because not everything suits us.”
Astrid calls herself an “opportunity researcher and perspective researcher,” because in her work she embarks on a journey of discovery with her participants to find their passion. “I see the world as a big playground where there is always potential.” Astrid has traveled extensively in her life and can recommend it to others, although she is reluctant to give advice. “Our brain does not want anything to be imposed on it, it wants to make its own decisions, otherwise we become resistant. That's why I'm in favor of giving people choices and letting them think for themselves. Traveling has given me the idea that things are different in other places, that things can be different, and that sometimes they have to be different. This life experience also makes you softer.
“Dare to say”
We won't change the fast-paced society, but you can learn to deal with it better and not overstimulate your mind. You can learn how to set your boundaries, set priorities, and sometimes put down the phone, without feeling guilty for not responding right away. Awareness and knowledge sharing are indispensable for achieving this, and fortunately there is more and more interest in it, as Astrid notes. “People often sound the alarm too late. They think they should be able to solve their problems on their own and put more effort into it, but this only makes the problem worse. If your head is on all day, it's possible that You develop health problems. The first thing you do is stop activities such as meeting up with friends, because that is easier than canceling commitments. But the activities you enjoy also calm you down and give you new energy.
So dare to express what you feel, Astrid urges everyone. “You're not alone, and this way we can support and help each other. It's not abnormal to not be able to keep up with the world. If we all knew that, we could say to each other: 'Hey, take it easy!'
