There is an optimal level of tension. When arousal is too low, we are insufficiently challenged, we learn too little, we remain too firmly within our comfort zone, or we find ourselves stuck in tunnel vision. When stress levels become too high, we freeze or falter, and our functioning deteriorates. Of course, the optimal level of tension varies from person to person and from situation to situation, but this course will he... There is an optimal level of tension. When arousal is too low, we are insufficiently challenged, we learn too little, we remain too firmly within our comfort zone, or we find ourselves stuck in tunnel vision. When stress levels become too high, we freeze or falter, and our functioning deteriorates. Of course, the optimal level of tension varies from person to person and from situation to situation, but this course will help you identify your ideal level for a wide range of circumstances. Show More

The Prologue phase of a story often describes the preparation for the adventure. It is not a period of passive waiting. Rather, it is an active, often unconscious, inner attunement. Here, we practise letting go, cultivating trust, and fostering connection—not as abstract ideals, but as concrete neurological and relational processes that mitigate stress. Those who neglect this phase often arrive at the true challenge alrea... The Prologue phase of a story often describes the preparation for the adventure. It is not a period of passive waiting. Rather, it is an active, often unconscious, inner attunement. Here, we practise letting go, cultivating trust, and fostering connection—not as abstract ideals, but as concrete neurological and relational processes that mitigate stress. Those who neglect this phase often arrive at the true challenge already exhausted. By contrast, those who invest in this fundamental preparation cultivate an inner compass, enabling them to weather storms more effectively later in the journey. Show More

This chapter explores stress management from the perspective of phase 2 of the Double Healix model: the Call to Adventure. What happens when it becomes clear that change is unavoidable? When your old world no longer exists and you must set out on a ‘journey’? You can manage the stress such change evokes more effectively when you are able to act, taking initiative wherever and whenever it is needed. Proactivity is essentia... This chapter explores stress management from the perspective of phase 2 of the Double Healix model: the Call to Adventure. What happens when it becomes clear that change is unavoidable? When your old world no longer exists and you must set out on a ‘journey’? You can manage the stress such change evokes more effectively when you are able to act, taking initiative wherever and whenever it is needed. Proactivity is essential: by thinking ahead and recognising opportunities, you avoid slipping into passivity, transforming tension instead into movement and energy. Assertiveness, and the ability to seize opportunities the moment they arise, strengthen your sense of control and resilience. Equally important is learning to claim the space you need, without losing sight of the needs of others. By practising these qualities, you discover that stress does not have to paralyse you; it can, in fact, spur you on to take meaningful steps forward. Show More

In phase 3 of the Double Healix model, Resistance to Change, the focus is on strengthening your stress buffer. This means developing a foundation in which physical health and a positive attitude to life mutually reinforce each other. The various terms used for this stress buffer include resilience, immunity, stability, and fitness. Together, they form a protective system that significantly reduces the risk of chronic stre... In phase 3 of the Double Healix model, Resistance to Change, the focus is on strengthening your stress buffer. This means developing a foundation in which physical health and a positive attitude to life mutually reinforce each other. The various terms used for this stress buffer include resilience, immunity, stability, and fitness. Together, they form a protective system that significantly reduces the risk of chronic stress and burnout. Show More

You strengthen your capacity to cope with stress when you learn new skills, allow alternative perspectives to take root, and make use of your creative faculties. Meet your Mentor and discover where you are capable of, more than you ever imagined. Learn to look with greater playfulness, think more creatively, and reframe challenges as emerging opportunities. With humour, perspective, and a refreshed outlook, your inner str... You strengthen your capacity to cope with stress when you learn new skills, allow alternative perspectives to take root, and make use of your creative faculties. Meet your Mentor and discover where you are capable of, more than you ever imagined. Learn to look with greater playfulness, think more creatively, and reframe challenges as emerging opportunities. With humour, perspective, and a refreshed outlook, your inner strength begins to grow. In this space, freedom of thought flourishes, nurtured by curiosity and a desire to keep learning. Show More

In phase 5 of the Double Healix model, the Selection Threshold, the focus is on safety, self-preservation, and rationalisation. You learn how a rational and results-oriented approach helps you assess danger more accurately and defend yourself effectively. You learn the importance of investigating existing (power) systems, enabling you to navigate power structures with greater skill. Often, the demands of the prevailing po... In phase 5 of the Double Healix model, the Selection Threshold, the focus is on safety, self-preservation, and rationalisation. You learn how a rational and results-oriented approach helps you assess danger more accurately and defend yourself effectively. You learn the importance of investigating existing (power) systems, enabling you to navigate power structures with greater skill. Often, the demands of the prevailing power are so deeply internalised that they appear self-evident. It is precisely then that it becomes important to distinguish between internal and external demands and to redefine your direction. In addition, you discover how to set priorities and deploy your energy selectively. In doing so, you increase your resilience to stress while maintaining a clear focus on what truly matters. Show More

Phase 6 of the Double Healix model, Star of the Day, marks an important movement in the narrative, where competencies such as self-expression, self-confidence and visibility come to the fore. In the context of stress management, these abilities play a significant role. Whereas the previous phase centred on self-preservation, safety and setting priorities, the Star of the Day invites you to celebrate successes, to express... Phase 6 of the Double Healix model, Star of the Day, marks an important movement in the narrative, where competencies such as self-expression, self-confidence and visibility come to the fore. In the context of stress management, these abilities play a significant role. Whereas the previous phase centred on self-preservation, safety and setting priorities, the Star of the Day invites you to celebrate successes, to express yourself with vitality, and show yourself - including your desires, strengths and vulnerabilities. Show More

Everyone knows moments in which life asks more of you than you can realistically carry. At times, this can sweep you into a current of overestimation, excessive ambition, unattainable ideals or an overload of adrenaline: you want more, faster, further. For a while, it may feel as though anything is possible — until you realise you have climbed too high and are beginning to lose your connection with yourself or with realit... Everyone knows moments in which life asks more of you than you can realistically carry. At times, this can sweep you into a current of overestimation, excessive ambition, unattainable ideals or an overload of adrenaline: you want more, faster, further. For a while, it may feel as though anything is possible — until you realise you have climbed too high and are beginning to lose your connection with yourself or with reality. It is precisely at such moments that grounding is needed. Phase 7 — Grounding — is the moment when you land again: with both feet firmly on the ground, aware of your boundaries, your body, and your actual capacity. Grounding means standing solidly and finding calm in who you are and in what is possible. In this phase, you learn how to set boundaries towards others - kindly yet clearly - when they come too close or expect too much from you. Equally important is self-mastery: allowing your emotions without drowning in them, feeling them and letting them go again. Where the earlier phases were primarily aimed at strengthening resilience, Grounding marks the beginning of the journey’s second part. It is the preparation for a deeper form of transformation — one that involves ‘dying and rising again’. Show More

In this chapter, we explore the eighth phase in the journey: the Reversal of Fortune. This is the phase in which we are confronted with overwhelming events—whether personal crises, societal tensions, or acute emergencies. Such events place heavy demands on our nervous system, social intelligence, and capacity for empathy. Stress management under these circumstances requires more than mere resilience; it calls for a mature... In this chapter, we explore the eighth phase in the journey: the Reversal of Fortune. This is the phase in which we are confronted with overwhelming events—whether personal crises, societal tensions, or acute emergencies. Such events place heavy demands on our nervous system, social intelligence, and capacity for empathy. Stress management under these circumstances requires more than mere resilience; it calls for a mature repertoire of social and psychological skills, such as: practising patience; enduring feelings of powerlessness; observing and listening with subtlety; delaying judgement; exercising empathy; showing solidarity; being able to ask for help; collaborating effectively; reflecting in action; and engaging in diplomacy. Naturally, these skills are deeply interwoven in this domain. Show More

Stress management takes on an added dimension when we go through our deepest crises: moments of despair, shame, guilt, or existential loss. In the Double Healix model, this process is referred to as the Dagger. In this phase (or in this domain), we are forced to confront the aspects of reality we have long avoided, without softening or denial. In the previous phase — the onset of the crisis — the focus was not yet on a pa... Stress management takes on an added dimension when we go through our deepest crises: moments of despair, shame, guilt, or existential loss. In the Double Healix model, this process is referred to as the Dagger. In this phase (or in this domain), we are forced to confront the aspects of reality we have long avoided, without softening or denial. In the previous phase — the onset of the crisis — the focus was not yet on a pain-laden analysis but rather on recognising the setback itself. That phase was about listening, creating breathing space, seeking help, and finding solidarity to prevent paralysis or destructive impulses. Once that initial shockwave has subsided, space emerges for the next step, central to the Dagger phase: facing avoided feelings and motives, and breaking through the taboos that have long concealed them. This requires letting go of illusions and unattainable dreams, mourning lost innocence, and making difficult decisions. It is precisely in the darkness of despair that deeper insight can arise, however painful it may be. Paradoxically, this confrontation can lead to an optimistic realism, a soothing mildness, and inner growth rooted in an honest self-image — and a more grounded view of the world. Show More

Phase 10 of the Double Healix model, Return to the Light, marks the moment when, after the deepest point of the crisis, space opens for hope and a sense of perspective. This phase can be characterised by the gradual recovery of direction. Meaning-making plays a crucial role here: when we are able to authentically place our experiences within a larger narrative, feelings of meaninglessness diminish and our psychological re... Phase 10 of the Double Healix model, Return to the Light, marks the moment when, after the deepest point of the crisis, space opens for hope and a sense of perspective. This phase can be characterised by the gradual recovery of direction. Meaning-making plays a crucial role here: when we are able to authentically place our experiences within a larger narrative, feelings of meaninglessness diminish and our psychological recovery is strengthened. Discovering (or rediscovering) our profound ideals and values functions as an anchor, reducing the grip that stress has on us. We are reminded of our purpose. It concerns questions such as: What truly matters to me? What can I offer the world? In this phase, an external or inner mentor is once again of inestimable value. Life lessons gained during earlier challenges now emerge clearly and coherently. They often acquire greater depth because of the pain we have endured. This accumulated wisdom becomes a guiding thread as we move towards the future with renewed energy. Thus, the light at the end of the tunnel - or the point on the horizon - becomes not merely a symbol of recovery, but an invitation and signpost towards further growth. In the process of stress management, the phase of the Return to the Light therefore offers not only relief, but also a sustainable reorientation towards what truly matters. Show More

In this chapter, we turn to phase 11 of the Double Healix model: Resurrection. After an existential crisis (phase 9, the Dagger) and the (re)discovery of our ideals (phase 10, Return to the Light), we enter the realm in which those ideals and values are tested against the character we display when we truly stand up for them. At the heart of the Resurrection phase lie courage, integrity and the willingness to make sacrific... In this chapter, we turn to phase 11 of the Double Healix model: Resurrection. After an existential crisis (phase 9, the Dagger) and the (re)discovery of our ideals (phase 10, Return to the Light), we enter the realm in which those ideals and values are tested against the character we display when we truly stand up for them. At the heart of the Resurrection phase lie courage, integrity and the willingness to make sacrifices: the readiness to uphold what we have recognised as true and valuable, even in the presence of fear. Stress management in this context requires not only resilience, but also moral clarity and the capacity to remain faithful to self-chosen values under pressure. Resurrection is a force that examines, transforms, and anchors (post-traumatic) development. Show More

This chapter concerns the last key of stress management. It is the phase (and the domain) of the Elixir: the capacity to make available to others what you have learned during your journey towards resilience, (post-traumatic) growth and transformation. We address three sources of strength: 1. Gratitude. This teaches us to recognise the good, allowing difficulties and stress to be placed in a calmer, more balanced perspecti... This chapter concerns the last key of stress management. It is the phase (and the domain) of the Elixir: the capacity to make available to others what you have learned during your journey towards resilience, (post-traumatic) growth and transformation. We address three sources of strength: 1. Gratitude. This teaches us to recognise the good, allowing difficulties and stress to be placed in a calmer, more balanced perspective. 2. Compassion, forgiveness and reconciliation. These can open the way to releasing what keeps us trapped in tension or bitterness. 3. Service. Helping others and contributing to the greater whole enables us to sense that our lives are meaningful, even beyond our own concerns. These interrelated capacities not only strengthen our resilience, but also deepen our connectedness with others and with life itself. As in all twelve domains of the Double Healix model, we also address here the risk of one-sidedness and the importance of balanced application. Show More

In this concluding chapter, we situate our personal development within the broader context of what is unfolding in the world around us, for the two are intimately connected. Our focus is on the period following the Second World War and on the theory of the Four Turnings: Bad times create strong men; Strong men create good times; Good times create weak men; Weak men create bad times — and so the cycle continues. We current... In this concluding chapter, we situate our personal development within the broader context of what is unfolding in the world around us, for the two are intimately connected. Our focus is on the period following the Second World War and on the theory of the Four Turnings: Bad times create strong men; Strong men create good times; Good times create weak men; Weak men create bad times — and so the cycle continues. We currently find ourselves in a turbulent fourth turning, and it is precisely in this phase that the twelve keys to coping with stress — resilient, creative, realistic, compassionate, visionary, courageous and bottom-up principled (personal) leadership — become especially vital. Show More