A few years ago, I worked as a Controller for a university in Germany based near Frankfurt. I lived with my husband and our two kids together and we had a very unhealty relationship. Day by day I felt more sick and my stomach felt like a stone.
I had to raise two school kids and run through a very hectic job. My husband was not much support back then.
Every kind of food I ate seemed to want to leave my body right away. In the end i had just 83,7757 lb which corresponds to 38 kg. I was hospitalized and had to remove large parts of the intestine in an emergency operation.
The diagnosis was Crohn's disease. Crohn‘s disease is still incurable.
After months of convalescence, I decided to leave my husband and live with my kids as a single mum.
I changed my job and went back to the software industry where I worked a few years ago. I worked as a Sales Manager and was responsible for new business and the expansion of sales.
It did not become less stressful. I had to raise the kids, lead my houshold and work responsibly.
To work in sales means that you have to travel a lot. From customers to conferences, to the next workshop. I changed the company hoping to travel less.
But I was wrong.
As Head of a new Business, I was responsible for the development of the sales department and additional operational sales activities.
I woke up one morning in a hotel room and had no idea which city I was in. I called my mother to ask what conference I was at that day.
That was the day i decided my life has to change.
Looking back, many things have been reactions of my body to stress.
I decided to help people to manage stress in a healthy way and completed my education as a certified Burnout Coach.
After every negative event in my life, I managed to pick myself up and grow.
And that's what made me resilient.
Resilient people are solution-oriented, goal-oriented, network-oriented, optimistic, accept responsibility and leave the victim role.
And always believe in themselves.
Stephanie Schaffner worked for many years in business for international companies such as Lufthansa. In the past few years she worked as a Sales Manager & Head of New Business in internationally operating software companies before becoming a certified trainer for stress management and a coach for burnout prevention.
Stephanie is focused to work onsite with the client and his team to manage stress in a healthy way and to transform negative stress into positive stress to reach high performance.
She is also contributing author for Thrive Global by Arianna Huffington.
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