#mental – Tanja Gutmann

At the age of 27, the then sports student lost both his legs in an accident whilst training for a triathlon. For weeks, his life hung by a thread. He gives a compelling account of how he fought his way back, let go of his old life and carved out a new, independent and self-determined life WITHOUT a wheelchair. And not only that. He became a football coach again.

In 2006, he was awarded the highest coaching licence, the UEFA Pro Licence, and in 2010 he became the football coach of FC Thun’s Under-21s. Now a mindset coach and expert in change, he explains why it is so important to accept and let go of things that cannot be changed, and how to put this into practice. He also explains how to move from a downward spiral to an upward one, and how to use the energy you’ve freed up for yourself and your new goals.

Book by Rüdiger Böhm: No legs, no limits! Boundary or challenge – you decide! published by Goldegg Verlag https://ruedigerboehm.de

Interview: 8 January 2022

As parents, we know them all too well, those stressful moments … We rush from one place to another trying to juggle work, the children and the household. Time for ourselves falls by the wayside, as does any chance to relax.

If these moments turn into constant stress and the pressure keeps mounting, then watch out! Burnout in a family context is a gradual process that often goes unnoticed at first. If one parent is suffering from burnout, the whole family is affected. Exhaustion-related depression affects not only your own health, but also that of your children.

Learn More about this from Prof. Katja Cattapan, Deputy Medical Director at the Kilchberg Sanatorium, in #mental. She also provides further information on the first recognisable signs, the effects, how to prevent parental burnout and how to find your way back to a normal everyday life.

Interview: 22 October 2021

Goals influence our well-being and our happiness in life. But not all goals are the same. It is the deeply personal ones – the goals close to our hearts – that enable us to rise above ourselves, that awaken, in some cases, unexpected strengths within us, and that give our lives meaning and fulfilment. But how do you find your own heartfelt goal, and how can you overcome the problems and challenges that may arise on the way to the finish line?

Olympic snowboard cross champion and now transformation coach Tanja Frieden helps people to find and achieve their heartfelt goals. 

In #mental, she shares valuable tips and also explains how she achieved her own crazy dream – to become an Olympic champion – how she overcame difficulties, and how she supported and strengthened herself mentally along the way.

Interview: 19 August 2021

Do you recognise that inner voice that says: ‘I’m not good enough, not clever enough, I don’t deserve this’? Do you also find yourself agreeing to everything, being nice and polite, rather than standing up for yourself and looking out for your own interests?

Low self-esteem affects our lives more than many people realise. Among other things, it can be a contributing factor to pain or even burnout. The way we treat ourselves – or, to put it another way, the self-worth we accord ourselves – has an impact on our physical and mental health, our quality of life, our relationships and our professional careers. Too low a sense of self-worth prevents us from realising our potential and enjoying life to the full. 

Simon Räber, psychologist, coach and psychotherapist, explains the impact that low self-esteem can have on various areas of life, why it can be a contributing factor to pain or even burnout, and offers tips on how to boost it.

Interview: 15 June 2021

Top-level athletes are often under immense pressure to perform and have to cope with difficult situations. But many people from the general public are also experiencing immense pressure and crises during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nicole Peterer is a mental coach for BSC Young Boys, various Bundesliga players, other top athletes and senior executives.

In #mental, she explains how to cope better with pressure in difficult situations and what you absolutely must bear in mind to manage a crisis effectively. Nicole Peterer also reveals how to maintain periods of success and positive momentum.

Interview: 5 April 2021

Through the power of the imagination, we can influence physical processes. We can strengthen our immune system, relieve pain, speed up healing processes, and make medication more effective, so that we need to take it for a shorter period and, possibly, in lower doses, etc. This has been proven by medical studies.

Dr Gary Bruno Schmid is a physicist, psychotherapist and medical hypnotherapist. He has been working on self-healing through the power of the imagination for 35 years and has conducted research in this field, publishing numerous specialist articles.

In #mental, he discusses the possibilities and limitations of the imagination and explains how one can boost one’s own self-healing through the power of the imagination. Books by Dr Gary Bruno Schmid: Self-Healing through the Power of the Imagination (2010); Death through the Power of the Imagination – The Secret of Psychogenic Deaths (2009); Click! – Why we suddenly know something that we actually cannot possibly know. (2015) Website: www.mind-body.info

Interview: 11 November 2020

Stefanie Heinzmann is one of Switzerland’s most successful singers and has won awards such as the Echo and the MTV Music Award. Before her meteoric rise to fame, she went through some very difficult years.

“There was a time when I loathed myself. I thought I was the worst,” she says in #mental. Just one year before her victory on Stefan Raab’s show, she admitted herself to a psychiatric clinic. The then almost 18-year-old was in the throes of a deep crisis. “I was a danger to myself. I didn’t want to live any more, but I didn’t want to die either.” Puberty, a slipped disc and the severe pain it caused, her commitments as a singer and school were all too much for her to cope with.

She began to self-harm and developed an eating disorder. Stefanie Heinzmann found it very difficult to accept herself and her body. She talks openly, honestly and in a very inspiring way about how she experienced it all, what helped her and which mental exercises enabled her to get back on track in life and be at peace with herself. She also explains how, as a public figure, she manages today to protect herself from hurtful comments and to set boundaries during performances.

Interview: 9 September 2020

And suddenly it was there: his first panic attack … and the feeling that he was going to die. Since then, nothing in Manuel Meyer’s life has been the same. The 24-year-old no longer dared to leave the house and felt ashamed of his fear.

He withdrew from social life, had to give up his job and didn’t know what to do next. Today, although the fear of another panic attack is still there, the way he deals with it is completely different.

In #mental, he explains how he found his way back to a more normal life, which mental exercises help him, and what valuable insights he has gained from his situation.

Interview: 10 August 2020

Many people find themselves caught in a rat race. They have a job which they do well, but which does not fulfil them. They are in a relationship governed more by habit than by feelings, or they rush around from one place to another, stressed out, without even realising what is actually happening in their lives.

There’s no sign of quality of life. What does a happy and fulfilling life require? How can I achieve the quality of life I desire? Both in my personal life and at work? Dr Claudio Weiss is a quality of life and values coach, a qualified psychologist and a leadership trainer.

In #mental, he reveals which factors are important, what to look out for, and how to steer one’s life in the desired direction. Dr Claudio Weiss is the author of the book: Creating Quality of Life – Putting True Values into Practice. He is also the developer of online tools for values and motivation assessment.

Interview: 6 July 2020

‘I wanted to perform, but I just couldn’t do it any more. I was almost at my wits’ end. I didn’t know what was wrong with me.” Since winning silver at the World Championships and finishing fifth in the vault at the Olympics, the days of successful artistic gymnast Ariella Kaeslin have become even more tightly scheduled.

Training, school, press engagements, sponsor events, and so on. Until she could take no more. Burnout. At the age of 23, she made the surprise announcement that she was retiring from elite sport and, in the throes of exhaustion-induced depression, found herself facing an empty abyss. The meaning of her life had vanished. Her friends no longer had time for her… ‘I no longer knew who I was, or why I should even get up in the morning. For a short while, I couldn’t see the meaning of life any more,’ says the qualified sports psychologist.

In #mental, she explains how she overcame this major crisis, how she found herself again, and which mental tools still help her today.

Interview: 10 June 2020

Klemens Sohler contracts severe pneumonia. It is unclear whether he will survive. Much to the astonishment of the doctors and nursing staff, he recovers more quickly than usual.

In #mental, the qualified academic mental coach explains how and through which mental exercises he managed to support and accelerate his recovery. The programme featuring Klemens Sohler was recorded in January 2020.

Interview: 14 May 2020

COVID-19 and the threat of falling ill are causing anxiety in many people. Anxiety triggers stress in the body, and this can suppress the immune system. That is exactly what we do not want during these difficult and unsettling times of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the contrary, what we want now is a robust, resilient immune system.

How can I support my immune system? How can I cope better with my anxiety? Prof. Dr Urs Gruber, a researcher in health sciences, preventive medicine and bioresilience at the Institute for Stress and Preventive Medicine at WMU, as well as a naturopath and psychologist, provides answers and tips on how to support the immune system and counteract anxiety through mental exercises, amongst other things. After all, visualisations, for example, can have a positive influence on our immune system… anything that triggers positive feelings within us acts as fuel for our immune system.

Interview: 6 April 2020

Following a severe traumatic brain injury, Daniel Albrecht – then a ski racer and world champion in the super combined – no longer knows who he is. He can no longer speak, walk or sit. Three months later, the then 25-year-old is back on his skis and, defying all the doctors’ predictions, is gradually fighting his way back into top-level sport.

What it’s like to remember nothing, to keep asking people the same questions over and over again, or even what it was like for him when he stood on skis again for the first time and had no idea how on earth he was supposed to get down the slope...

In a very personal and moving conversation, Daniel Albrecht recounts how he found his way back to normal life, the immense willpower and the unusual methods he used to fight his way back into the sport, and what helped him mentally.

Interview: (9 March 2020)

How well our relationship goes is entirely up to us. But what does a good and happy relationship need, and what can you do when problems arise?

Psychologist, relationship expert and researcher into the nature of fate Hermann Meyer offers valuable advice. For over 30 years, this relationship expert has been working with couples and exploring partnerships. He has also spent many years working in psychosomatic research and has now written over 20 books on these topics. These include: ‘Everyone gets the partner they deserve’.

Interview: 10 February 2020

Setting resolutions and goals is one thing; actually sticking to them is usually quite another. Many people abandon their good intentions after only a short time. To prevent this from happening, you can give yourself some mental support.

Coach and management consultant Mathias Balmer explains how to do this. He also reveals what it takes to achieve your goals and resolutions, and how to get back on track when you encounter difficulties. The discussion covers resolutions such as doing more sport or losing weight, as well as business-related goals.

Interview: 6 January 2020

Emotional abuse is one of the most underestimated problems in our society, because hurtful behaviour makes people ill. The employee whom the boss summons to the ‘disciplinary meeting’; the child who is punished by having love withheld; the woman whose husband mocks her in front of a group of friends – they are all victims of emotional abuse, and this usually has serious consequences: emotional abuse can cause psychological and physical harm that may never fully heal.

Stress hormones are released in greater quantities, the pain threshold is lowered and the immune system is weakened. Those affected often go on to suffer from depression and anxiety disorders. Humiliation and contempt can be experienced anywhere, but it is also possible to defend oneself against them anywhere.

Health expert and bestselling author Dr Werner Bartens explains what emotional abuse is, what consequences it has for the body and health, and how one can protect oneself and defend against it. The accompanying book: Emotional Abuse: What Really Hurts Us: Offence, Humiliation, Withholding of Love and How to Protect Ourselves Against It

Interview: 10 December 2019

Gabriel Palacios was severely bullied at school. The hypnosis expert talks about how he coped during that time and what gave him strength and support.

He offers advice on what you can do for yourself in such situations and explains exercises that help build inner strength. Gabriel Palacios is one of Switzerland’s best-known and most successful hypnosis experts and mental coaches. www.palacios-relations.ch

Interview: 12 November 2019

The successful Swiss rapper Andres Andrekson, also known as Stress, talks about his experiences of depression, how he copes with it and what tools help him.

Interview: 7 October 2019

Many people aspire to success. Ray Popoola, one of the most successful international mental coaches for executives and elite athletes, explains how you can tap into your potential, achieve your personal best and thus attain the success you desire.

Interview: 9 September 2019

Michelle Zimmermann has the most severe form of epidermolysis bullosa. Her skin is as fragile as a butterfly’s. Pain is therefore a constant companion.

In this programme, she reveals how she uses mental pain-management strategies to alleviate the pain or even make it imperceptible for a few moments, and how she manages, despite everything, to go through life full of energy, joie de vivre and a zest for action.

Michelle has written a book about her experiences with pain: *Über den Schmerzen... Hautnah aus dem Leben* (On Pain... A First-hand Account of Michelle Zimmermann’s Life). Publisher: Lokwort, Bern.

Interview: 7 August 2019

We can build muscle strength purely through our imagination. This is because imagination triggers processes similar to those that occur when we are actually experiencing something. Our imagination can therefore achieve incredible things.

According to studies, those who combine physical muscle training with mental muscle training achieve the greatest results in terms of muscle gain, muscle cross-sectional area and muscle strength.

Further areas of application: Following surgery or injury, mental muscle training can support muscle maintenance or muscle building. This is because the muscles are controlled by nerve cells but not moved by them.

Mobility in old age can be maintained for longer through mental muscle training, as it trains the nervous system’s control of the muscles. Furthermore, visualising oneself successfully mastering certain situations – such as climbing a flight of stairs – helps to reduce fears or inhibitions. Dr Jan Rauch, Head of Sports Psychology at the IAP at the ZHAW and Programme Director of the CAS in Psychological and Mental Training in Sport, explains how mental muscle training works.

Interview: 10 July 2019

Sandra Gisin is an ILP / Enneagram coach and has been living with incurable breast cancer since 2013. Impressive, full of courage and with a sense of humour, she shows how to deal with the illness constructively and what she did when she was really not feeling well.

Her mental strength, her tips and her mindset are incredibly enriching, even for other areas of life. During her chemotherapy, Sandra Gisin wrote a book.

It is a sort of diary peppered with lots of useful coaching tips. To order the book: https://burn-free.ch/buecher/ Website: https://burn-free.ch.

Interview: 5 June 2019

Patrick Fischer, coach of the Swiss national ice hockey team, talks about the ‘eagles’ and ‘ducks’ in his team, how winners should think, his rituals and his fears.

Interview: 4 May 2019