Why do we want to make hammers in Detroit? – A conversation about office work with a workplace psychologist and a mental-health professional.

Host Péter Civin talks with Hajnalka Holecz, workplace psychologist at Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions, and Melinda Korpa, communications and mental health professional. The episode explores how modern work reshapes our inner world — and why emotional clarity and boundaries matter more than ever.

The modern worker and the internalised supervisor

Today’s knowledge worker often behaves like their own overzealous manager: monitoring output, tracking responsiveness and worrying constantly about visibility. The disconnect between effort and measurable results intensifies stress, and as Péter highlights, many corporate roles produce value that is real but intangible. This mismatch fuels self-doubt and overthinking.

Emotional environmental pollution

Hajni uses the term emotional environmental pollution to describe a phenomenon many recognise: when one person’s uncontrolled frustration spills into a shared space. Rather than a harmless vent, it acts as an emotional toxin — amplifying tension and reducing psychological safety.

Personal life doesn’t stay outside the office

Sleep deprivation, family conflict and private struggles shape our interactions. Ignoring this reality weakens teams. Recognising it — without turning the workplace into group therapy — enables healthier reactions, better support and more humane expectations.

Zoning in and out: the missing transition

Hybrid work has erased natural boundaries. Without conscious “airlocks”, stress slides straight from inbox to living room. Hajni suggests simple, intentional transitions: walks, rituals, physical work-free zones. These practices don’t solve everything, but they prevent emotional overflow.

The pressure of visibility

Melinda highlights a distinctly modern anxiety: the belief that good work matters only if it is publicly visible. This “performance-via-social-proof” dynamic leads to unhealthy comparison, self-doubt and the sense of constantly falling behind.

Misreading one another

Humans are quick to assume intent. As Melinda notes, a sharp reply or an irritated tone is often interpreted as personality — not as the product of stress or private pain. Péter adds that we frequently over-interpret small cues from leaders or colleagues, creating pressure out of thin air.

Kitchen psychology and the misuse of trauma language

Greater openness about mental health is positive, but pop-psychology labels can overshadow real, professional understanding. Melinda points out that treating trauma as a permanent excuse prevents real progress. The healthier path is using past experiences as material for growth, not as identity.

The psychologist’s evolving role: a source of sobriety

In an emotionally overloaded culture, Hajni sees the future of workplace psychology as restoring balance: helping employees observe feelings with distance, reduce catastrophic thinking and sometimes accept the simple truth that “today feels like this — and that’s okay.”

Why this matters for organisations

Mental health is not a perk. It influences retention, productivity, trust and culture. The episode suggests practical levers:
– clearer expectations and boundaries,
– supportive leadership behaviours,
– accessible psychological resources,
– healthier meeting and communication norms,
– and a culture rooted in goodwill rather than judgement.

The message is clear: in a hybrid, high-visibility, high-ambiguity world, mental health is a strategic competency — for individuals and organisations alike.

Listen to the full episode to discover how technology, policy, and logistics come together in one of Europe’s most sophisticated mobility services here (in Hungarian): https://www.deutschetelekomitsolutions.hu/podcasts/miert-akarunk-kalapacsgyartok-lenni-detroitban/