"Stress is a starting signal for learning."

Interview with Dr. Rita Zijlstra, director at Zorg van de Zaak and Clinical Neuropsychologist

From March 13 to 19, it is Brain Awareness Week, a week entirely devoted to mental health. An important part of mental health is looking at and dealing with stress differently. Dr. Rita Zijlstra, director at Zorg van de Zaak and Clinical Neuropsychologist, explains how, as an employer, you can best support your employees in this area. "Stress is no longer disappearing from our rapidly changing society, and avoiding stress makes no sense. So it's important to recognize it and use it to your advantage."

Rita explains that as many as 40 to 45 percent of people suffer from mental health issues. "This has to do with many different factors, such as too much work pressure, financial problems or a disturbed work-life balance," she explains. In addition, new technology is being developed at a rapid pace, requiring us to process ever larger flows of information. As a result, people feel they have to work harder, faster and more, and become emotionally exhausted. This can then lead to all kinds of conflicts at home and in the workplace. This is also shown by the results of the National Survey of Working Conditions (NEA)."

Positive and negative stress symptoms

Many people experience high (work) pressure, resulting in stress symptoms. "We also call this negative stress. Your brain then stops working properly and cognitive functions come under pressure. Under negative stress you cannot think properly. You remember less well and you can forget about that laser focus, especially in a busy environment," Rita explains. "Planning, organizing and creative thinking also don't work as well. These are all important skills in a world that changes very quickly and in which you have to constantly learn new things to remain sustainably employable."

Labeling stress differently

Rita explains that we can look at stress in different ways: from the idea that stress is harmful or, on the contrary, that stress is reinforcing: "We almost always label stress as something negative, but that is not justified." Before stress gets too high and causes symptoms, it has an important function. This is because stress gives energy to dare to face challenges. In many circumstances, stress helps people connect with others and learn and grow together.

So stress in itself is not wrong. It is our attitude toward stress that affects our health. How you label a situation determines how you feel about that situation. For example, when an employee has to do something they can't do yet, it can produce negative thoughts: 'I can't do that. I don't dare. I'm already so busy, why doesn't my boss take that into account?' That immediately produces a negative tense feeling: negative stress.

You can also approach this situation differently, according to Rita. "Your employee realizes that he can't do it yet, but also that he is allowed to learn new things. He thinks he can get time and help with that, provided he asks for it. That immediately produces a completely different feeling: positive stress. It gives enthusiasm to be allowed to do and learn something new."

What can you do as an employer?

Many people try to avoid stress, but according to Rita, this is not an effective way. "With all the rapid new technological developments, stress is here to stay. You can't avoid it and we certainly shouldn't see it as a health issue right away. It only becomes one if we act on positive stress too late. Being sustainably employable requires employees to learn to recognize stress early and then learn for themselves what they can do best."

As an employer, you must have a good understanding of what the biggest sources of stress are in the workplace. Then you can train the employee to learn how to properly deal with that stress. Not once but several times, for example through training, role plays and coaching. As an employer, you can also set a good example in this. What stress do you experience and how do you deal with it?

In addition, you can give the employee a boost through a one-time conversation with a professional. "No endless interventions that medicalize stress, but one conversation aimed at normalizing stress. Scientific research shows that that single-session therapy is very effective."

Sufficient autonomy

Mental health, according to Rita, is largely related to the influence a person believes they can have on themselves and their work. "This is called a growth mindset," she explains. "People with a growth mindset experience more job satisfaction." It is important here, however, not to get stuck in thinking. "After all, the thought of an action does not yet lead to that action. People who think they have influence are more likely to take action and learn.

Positive working environment

As an employer, you must provide a positive work climate with a good balance between exertion and so-called "loafing" moments. It is important that employees feel that they belong, can take their own direction and are allowed to learn (and thus make mistakes). "If you think you cannot change yourself or your work (fixed mindset) then you are more likely to have negative thoughts. Resulting in psychological symptoms." What that autonomy looks like, you determine in consultation with your employees. After all, they themselves know best what freedoms they need in their jobs.

Learning to cope with stress together

As an employer, you have to start the conversation, but your employees themselves also have an important role in preventing negative stress: "We think it's very normal that employees themselves are responsible for their physical fitness, why doesn't the same apply to mental fitness?" Physical fitness also requires regular training to keep it in order. The same applies to mental fitness.

Some employees feel that stress regulation is "boardroom talk," but nothing could be further from the truth. "This topic is important for everyone, whether you work at the corner bakery or are a manager. After all, everyone is on the same fast-track to life issues and changes," Rita concludes.

Brain Awareness Week

Also check out the page on Brain Awareness Week, in which ZekerArbo brings extra attention to brain health in the workplace.