The first steps …

… don’t have to be big ones. Two steps forward, one step back. In the end, it doesn’t matter how big or small the steps are. The main thing is to start. Remember: stress management is not a sprint, it’s a walk. Four simple steps pave the way.

1. Insight: It’s too much! This is a realization that does not always come easily, yet is of enormous necessity. Only with insight, change can accompany it.

2. Seek advice: There is no one-size-fits-all solution to stress. Every person is different. So is the offer of help diverse. Questions like, „What do I need?“ „What form?“ „What do I expect?“ can help to find the right offer.

3. Before the counseling/coaching: What can I do? For example, keep a stress diary, watch for indicators of stressful situations, take first steps toward mindfulness, etc.

4. The first conversation: Becoming master of the situation again. Gain distance from the situation, gain clarity about upcoming tasks, gain an overview of options, set priorities.

Mountain, Sky, Boulders, Hiking, Person, Way
Step by step. Every hike has its ups and downs. Nevertheless, it goes on slowly but steadily.

Stress…

… an endless list. Stress is encountered by everyone, everywhere. No one can talk themselves out of it. Stress is divided into „positive“ and „negative“ stress. Positive stress can be stimulating over a certain period of time. As a rule, however, stress has a negative connotation. Here you can see which factors can play a role in a stress list:

  • Always being available.
  • Wanting to do several things at the same time.
  • Everything is equally important.
  • Having a lot of private appointments.
  • Rarely taking time for breaks.
  • Always having high demands on yourself, even in your free time.
  • Taking problems from work home .
  • Getting angry about things over which you have no control.
  • Finding it very difficult to say no.
  • Often being pressed for time already in the morning.
  • Spending the whole day in a hurry and the pressure of, „I hope I get everything done.“
  • Finding it hard to accept things as they are.
  • Seeing negative things rather than positive things.
  • Often feeling responsible for things that are not one’s fault.

And now, hand on heart: How many points do you find yourself in? Even if you find an example for every point on the list, that’s no reason to panic. Being aware of the stress factors is the first step towards being able to change them. The important thing is: Don’t just carry on as before. There is always something that can be changed and sometimes even small changes have a big effect.

Clock, Laptop, Smartphone, Calendar, Cup, Time
And if it does get to be too much. First take a deep breath.

Try it…

… with composure. Sounds almost like a Disney song. And yet it has so much importance. A balanced life is the basis for serenity. A fulfilled life is supported by many pillars. Those include career and professional success, material security, meaningful activity, physical and mental health, and a supportive social environment. Many people focus on the first two pillars, career, professional success, and material security. They neglect the other three pillars. With so much work, there is no time for family and friends, and health is also on the decline. And suddenly they realize: Something crucial is missing!

In the following blog entries, I want to write about the things that you can change.

Keyboard, cup of tea, pen, notepad
Just put the keyboard aside and relax with a warm cup of tea.

There is still something missing …

… on the tablet, right? Yes, of course. The picture is from our planning phase and we still had to make some adjustments, not only to the dates. But now everything is complete. We are looking forward to your registrations. From now on all seminars and workshops are activated in Unisono. You can find the overview here:

Dates, texts, images: Many steps are needed to make the Career Service Program work on the website.

It is never too late to be punctual …

… is one slogan on the current Career Service Postcards. Our semster blog will start April 12th! From then on, we will post every week in English and German, alternatively. Promised. We wish you a good start in the semester and Happy Easter!

The flowers are already there, the trees are still waiting with their leaves. We look forward to seeing you on campus.

What you can do …

… with your studies. That was the title of today’s Career Service workshop on AR Campus. We were part of the theme day “doubts about your studies”, organized by the colleagues from the central student advisory service. The topic, not so easy. The participants, curious. And of course everything about finding you career path. Classical Career Service tasks.

The event was all about getting to know methods for developing your own individual strategies. Many questions, many new ideas. We would like to thank you for the interesting event and the lively participation. And if you still have questions while thinking about the ideas from today, just write an e-mail and we will see how we can find answers. We are looking forward to your questions.

Already the second name tag that I forgot to return. I think I will put it in the house mail tomorrow and send it back to the colleague.

It is the first …

… podcast in English . Our guest: Anne Pajarinen. We talk about basic knowledge on how international students can successfully apply for jobs in Germany. We focus on language and culture, overcoming shyness and developing self-trust, and seeing the various perspectives of a professional career in Germany. It is an invitation to network and get in touch with the country.

Anne Pajarinen, Director of Carl Duisberg Centrum Radolfzell, is an education enthusiast from Finland with a long career in various educational contexts in Germany.

And here is the link to the podcast. Just enjoy listening
https://anchor.fm/career-questions

And as always, our recommendation while listening: Enjoy a good cup or tea.

Designing your future …

… is a challenge. As the University of Siegen is a part of the Advanced Technology Higher Education Network Alliance (ATHENA), we are also a part of the special ATHENA Career Service Program. Strong networks create new possibilities.

Interested in what we do?

On 19 October, for example, we invite you to join the ATHENA Career Event. It is online and we start at 9 am. How to register and what to expect can be found on the ATHENA Website.

https://athenauni.eu/athena-career-event-2022

We are looking forward to see you, because the future is just the next step.

From the first sketch …

… to the finished logo of our new podcast. It only took six hours. Our motto was: Just get started! . And it worked. We are looking forward to many interested listeners. The first part of the project is in German. We will start with the English edition on July 6, 2022. But until then, perhaps you would like to practice some German. Give it a try!

https://anchor.fm/careerfragen

Already curious…

… how the Podcast of the Career Service of the University of Siegen will sound? Here are forty five seconds with samples form today’s test recording. The name of our podcast is career:FRAGEN. This new program will be launched as a digital event on April 27th at 3 pm.

If you want to be part of the first real event, you can register via Unisono. [Link to the pre-announcement text]

The Zoom link will be sent directly to your email inbox on the morning of the event.

career:FRAGEN is for now in German. So joining it is a good idea if you want to gain some experience with the „German in an nutshell“ program. An English edition of the podcast will be released later this year.

To avoid getting mixed up: The first event starts on Wednesday April 27th at 3 pm, all other events are on Wednesday at 4 pm.

It was a little bit tricky but we enjoyed the process a lot! Here is a picture from the mixer in the recording studio of the ZIMT. Thanks to Oliver and André for the great introduction and support during the production.