Prevent exhaustion by recognizing and disrupting stressful patterns earlier

Energy mechanic Rico Brunner explains: “A lot must have happened before stress leads to exhaustion. If you are able to recognize and address stressors early, you can stay on the right track. I can support people who currently lack the strength to ‘change lanes’. I help them to regain their strength so that they can make positive changes.”

Rico Brunner, some people who suffer from exhaustion can recover on their own whereas others are not able to do so. Why is that?

The time people need to regenerate varies. People who seem unable to recover require a much longer time to regenerate. This is why it is often misinterpreted as an inability to recover.

Exhaustion is often caused by stress. Does this mean that anyone who experiences stress must also be exhausted?

No. I differentiate between positive and negative stress. Positive stress can be motivating and inspiring. It can be tiring, but it is not overwhelming. Negative stress will lead to exhaustion sooner or later.

People who mean well might suggest that we should just take some time to relax. Why does this not work?

A lot of things must have happened before a person reaches a level of stress that does not allow them to relax anymore. An intervention was needed much earlier in order to maintain the ability to stay calm. If you want to avoid constant tension, you should recognize and tackle stress early on.

What are some warning signals that we should be aware of?

The greatest warning signal is the classic gag reflex that might be triggered whenever you just think about work. If you can change your perspective and try to be less invested while still completing the necessary work and managing your emotions, you may avoid reaching a point where everything is simply too much.

How do you support clients who cannot manage this on their own and turn to you for help?

Most cases involve energy fields that are overwhelmed by stress. They are strained and fatigued, and they are no longer able to regenerate themselves. It is crucial to strengthen and repair the energy fields to increase their vitality and resilience. Maladaptive behaviors can also contribute to stress-induced exhaustion. The healing process needs to include a plan that involves different strategies to cope with stress.

How do you support a client who wants to change their behavior?

As people mature, they develop certain behavioral patterns. These patterns are usually positive and help us to stay aligned with our values. If we deviate from these patterns, it can be very difficult to return to them. I am interested in the reason a person may have deviated from their behavioral pattern, and whether this was caused by a functional disorder that I can repair. I determine whether the person has enough strength to return to their natural behavioral pattern. If not, I have to assist them with reactivating their strength so that they can perform the necessary changes.

People are often aware of their issues but they struggle with the implementation of positive changes, and each attempt results in exhaustion…

It is necessary to accept that you are currently not performing as well as you would like. If you set goals that are unattainable at this point in time, failure and stress are inevitable. You have to learn to set boundaries and to take a lot of things less seriously.

What exactly do you do? You offer remote treatment instead of talk therapy.

I begin with an analysis and examine the energy field from afar. I determine how it functions and reacts to stress that it cannot cope with. What interactions contribute to the exhaustion? I can see this in a person’s energy field. It is important to increase resilience in people who suffer from stress. This makes them stronger, and it may motivate them to change their behavior and stand up for themselves more.

You are helping them help themselves…

If you rely on your ‘pressure relief valve’ to reduce stress, you might make it through another year, but the stress will continue to build up again. The energies will be even more exhausted because the underlying problem has not been addressed. It is crucial that a person relies on their own inner strength to make positive, sustainable changes. 

Can you summarize the main causes contributing to the development of a stress-induced exhaustion?

It is caused by continuous stress of a certain intensity. If you unable to relax and allow your energy field to recover, it will eventually result in fatigue and collapse.

Does remaining in the stressful situation, e.g. talking about work when you are at home instead of distracting yourself, increase stress levels?

Yes. Sometimes you think about the stressful circumstances when you go to bed and as soon as you wake up. You might even wake up at night because you cannot stop thinking about it. There is no end to this stress, and this will eventually lead to exhaustion.

Finally, can you tell us about some tips and tricks that can help us to cope with stressful situations?

You should try to not take things too seriously and not assign too much importance to everything. Try to take on less responsibilities. You should also make a conscious effort to distract yourself with something mundane so that you can relax. You need to learn to not take things personal and to set boundaries. This is easier said than done, and people often need support.

Should you avoid focusing on a stressful topic so that you do no intensify its effect on you?

Yes, that is correct.