Wegweiser Burnout & Exhaustion Deutsch

🧘 Self-help and stress management

What you can do yourself supplements treatment and legal steps – but does not replace them where exhaustion needs treatment.

Self-help Stress management Prevention courses § 20 SGB V

In brief

Alongside treatment, sick leave and legal steps, self-help plays an important, supplementary role: structured recovery, realistic limits in everyday life and conscious handling of stress can help prevent renewed exhaustion. Self-help does not replace treatment, however, if an illness requiring treatment such as a depressive episode or an adjustment disorder is already present.

The statutory health insurers also subsidise certified prevention courses on stress management, which you can attend regardless of any acute illness.

Step by step

  1. Assess your current state honestlyDistinguish between temporary strain and signs that require medical assessment (see overview page).
  2. Check health-insurer-subsidised prevention coursesMany health insurers subsidise certified courses on stress management, mindfulness or relaxation techniques.
  3. Actively plan recovery phasesFixed breaks, a sleep routine and exercise are simple but effective building blocks.
  4. Use social supportTalk to people you trust about the strain instead of hiding it.
  5. Know the warning signs of relapseDecide for yourself which signs mean that you should seek professional help again.

Deadlines

No statutory deadline
Self-help measures are not subject to any deadline. For subsidies towards prevention courses, maximum amounts apply that vary by health insurer and are not set uniformly by law.–
Watch out – common mistakes
  • Self-help is no substitute for treatment: if a depressive episode, an adjustment disorder or other complaints requiring treatment are already present, they belong in medical/psychotherapeutic hands.
  • The exact amount of health insurer subsidies for prevention courses differs from insurer to insurer and is therefore not stated here as a specific amount – ask your insurer directly.
  • In acute crises or if you have thoughts of suicide, self-help measures are not enough – contact the TelefonSeelsorge or the emergency number 112 immediately (see also the Depression module).
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

Health-insurer-funded prevention (§ 20 SGB V)

§ 20 SGB V obliges the statutory health insurers to provide primary prevention services, including for stress management and promoting individual health literacy. The specific design and subsidising of courses is regulated in the prevention guide of the GKV-Spitzenverband and may differ between insurers.

Limits of self-help

Scientifically studied methods such as mindfulness training, relaxation techniques (e.g. progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training) or exercise can demonstrably contribute to stress regulation. However, they are to be understood as supplementary, not as the sole measure for an already existing mental illness requiring treatment; a clear-cut statement of the point at which self-help is no longer enough can only be made by an individual medical or psychotherapeutic assessment.

Who is responsible
  • Statutory health insurer (funding of prevention courses)
Further reading
What is burnout? Medical and legal classificationRelatives and social circle

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „Self-help and stress management“?
What you can do yourself supplements treatment and legal steps – but does not replace them where exhaustion needs treatment.
Which deadlines and figures matter?
No statutory deadline: Self-help measures are not subject to any deadline. For subsidies towards prevention courses, maximum amounts apply that vary by health insurer and are not set uniformly by law. (–)
What should I do first?
  • Assess your current state honestly: Distinguish between temporary strain and signs that require medical assessment (see overview page).
  • Check health-insurer-subsidised prevention courses: Many health insurers subsidise certified courses on stress management, mindfulness or relaxation techniques.
  • Actively plan recovery phases: Fixed breaks, a sleep routine and exercise are simple but effective building blocks.
What do I need to watch out for?
  • Self-help is no substitute for treatment: if a depressive episode, an adjustment disorder or other complaints requiring treatment are already present, they belong in medical/psychotherapeutic hands.
  • The exact amount of health insurer subsidies for prevention courses differs from insurer to insurer and is therefore not stated here as a specific amount – ask your insurer directly.
  • In acute crises or if you have thoughts of suicide, self-help measures are not enough – contact the TelefonSeelsorge or the emergency number 112 immediately (see also the Depression module).
Evidence
  • § 20 SGB V (gesetze-im-internet.de)
  • Prevention guide (Leitfaden Prävention), GKV-Spitzenverband, as of 2026 (gkv-spitzenverband.de)
As of

As of September 2026. · Sources and method

A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.