- SP co-president Mattea Meyer is now returning to the Federal Palace after a five-month break from exhaustion.
- Many 20 Minute readers experience similar feelings of exhaustion and burnout.
- Ursula suffered a burnout due to personal tragedy and workload.
- Sonia, a single mother, is currently struggling with two jobs and exhaustion.
What do you do when the alarm goes off in the morning and you need to get up but just can’t? Do everyday tasks like answering emails or getting the kids ready for school suddenly take up tons of energy? That’s what SP Co-President Mattea Meyer felt before she pulled the emergency brake and took a five-month break from exhaustion.
20 Minute readers also know this feeling. One of them is Ursula (66). “It wasn’t just a break that I needed – it was a complete stop,” she told 20 Minutes. She had leadership responsibility in the office and was present and resilient. Until a private state of emergency arose: “My 19-year-old son had a serious motorcycle accident, my mother had a stroke.”
“I worked day after day until I couldn’t anymore.”
Two fates with lasting damage that would have taken an extreme toll on them. “I worked day after day until I couldn’t anymore,” she says. Deep exhaustion, persistent sleep problems, migraines and the feeling that you can no longer feel properly. The turning point came at work: “Suddenly I couldn’t get up anymore. My colleagues rushed to help me – then I blacked out. The doctor then diagnosed me with burnout due to double stress.”
Ursula was in a clinic for three months. After that, she deliberately took a six-month break. “This time was important to process what we had experienced and find structure again. It took a lot of conversations, a lot of reflection – and the realization that it had to be about me now.” Today she knows her warning signs: “I can feel in my head and stomach when it’s getting too much and I take my limits seriously. Saying no isn’t always easy for me – but I know it’s necessary.”
“I now had to admit to myself: I can’t do it anymore.”
Sonia is currently at the point where things can’t go any further: “I have a doctor’s appointment in the next few days where I have to ask him for some time off.” The 38-year-old has been sick off and on since December. “I’ve had to take antibiotics and cortisone injections twice since then.” When the dizziness occurred in February, her alarm bells rang: “One day I woke up and saw everything blurry – that really scared me.”
Because of her two jobs and the care work she has as a single mother, she can hardly find peace in her everyday life. “Now I finally had to admit to myself: I can’t do it anymore – my body is screaming stop.” This realization was difficult for her. “When those around me asked me if everything was okay, that was a clear signal for me.” She couldn’t say how long she needed a break. “I hope that in two or three weeks I will feel better and be able to go back to my everyday life,” says Sonia.
Melissa Greiter (mgr) has been working for 20 minutes since 2024. She has been an editor in the news, business and video reports department since February 2025.
