Hopecast Episode 9

Hopecast: Episode 8 - Chronic Stress, Values & Courage to Choose Yourself

In Episode 9 of She Did It – The Hopecast, Ariane Bischoff speaks with Dorit Sauer, stress-management coach, long-time EWMD member and German expat living in Madrid for more than 25 years. Dorit shares how chronic stress shaped her professional journey and how understanding her inner values ultimately became the turning point toward a healthier, more intentional life.

Dorit describes how her career in international companies brought excitement, but also invisible pressure: the slow, scentless build-up of chronic stress. Unlike burnout, which many recognize as the dramatic collapse at the end of a long struggle, chronic stress is subtle. It accumulates quietly through misaligned values, demanding work cultures, perfectionism and the myth that productivity requires self-neglect. Only with distance, study and deep self-reflection did Dorit understand how much her body and mind had been signalling over years.

A pivotal moment came when she noticed herself behaving in ways that were not like her — complaining, feeling constantly on edge, losing joy in work she once loved. That moment of self-awareness became her invitation to change. Dorit began studying mindfulness, stress science, and later Coaching by Values, discovering how value incongruence can be one of the strongest hidden stressors. She now supports professional women and companies to build environments of healthy productivity, where people can thrive without constant pressure.

Dorit’s story is a reminder that hope often begins with one brave decision: the choice to take yourself seriously. To pause. To realign. To build a life that matches your values — not someone else’s expectations.

Du möchtest auch Teil von "She did it" werden und deine weibliche Inspirationsquelle vorstellen?

Dann melde dich unter shedidit@ewmd.org!

Wir freuen uns auf dich und deine Geschichte!