Review of the KLETT-ELTAS workshop
„Pause, Recharge, Reimagine“
with Patricia de Griese
ISM Stuttgart, on Saturday 25th July 2026
written by Karin Scheffold-Mokler and Katrin Beringer
What a refreshing and informative interactive workshop that invited us all to reflect and recharge for the months ahead!Our speaker Patricia de Griese asked us to think about our personal strengths, combat negativity, worry less about the future, and focus on our zone of control. “Whatever challenge you are facing at the moment: it will pass!”
She explained the concept of the “window of tolerance”, which is the moment when you feel good because you are in the “optimal arousal zone”. Outside this window you are either in “hyper arousal”, which often comes with racing thoughts, anger, and impaired judgement, or you are stuck in a state of “hypo arousal”, which manifests itself in feelings of isolation, numbness, and even depression. How do you get out of the extremes? Through physical activation (bottom to top) or mental reflection (top to bottom). Patricia – and participants – shared examples of both.
The question arose as to what we can control in our life. “We tend to try to predict the future and control the world!” said Patricia. She recommended reading the book “A Random Walk Down Wall Street” by Burton Malkiel. It mentions an experiment where nine monkeys made better predictions than humans!
Patricia visualized three zones: The Zone of Control – The Zone of Influence – The Zone of No Control. Too often we worry about things we cannot control such as climate change, war, or politics. This is draining! Why not start making use of our “self-efficacy” in the other zones instead where can we at least have an influence on the world around us?
There was so much more that Patricia shared on that day such as the cognitive triangle and the PIE model. She even gave us a brief overview of how the brain works. What a resourceful and energetic speaker she is! Participants were grateful and inspired, which they expressed on their “take away” cards at the end of the session. Here are some examples:
– Be aware of what you can control and be kind to yourself.
– Practice self-compassion and be mindful.
– I’ll hug myself more often ….
– Interesting thoughts on the brain and how to apply it practically
Many thanks to Patricia, and also to Jonathan Lobb from Klett and the ELTAS team for organizing this engaging and inspiring workshop and the treats provided during the break!
