Method for the computer-assisted operation of an electric motor which is subjected, during its operation, to a thermal loading by the rotational motion of its rotor, having the steps: - receiving measurement data measured during the operation of the electric motor, wherein the measurement data are electrical and/or kinetic physical variables of the electric motor; - determining at least one temperature value, approximated to a virtual real value, by means of a mathematical module, derived from a predefineable motor geometry, for physical variables of the overall state of the motor, and from the received measurement data as input data; - predicting a number of temperature profiles (T Pi) with different restart times (t(T Pi)), wherein the temperature profiles (T Pi) are each dependent on the overall state of the electric motor and/or on the configuration of the electric motor, in order to define a cooling time period for reducing the thermal loading on the electric motor, wherein the approximated temperature value, which results from the at least one virtual real value, is input as a respective starting value for a restart into the temperature profile which is to be predicted; - displaying the temperature profile (T V), which lies in the past, together with the number of predicted temperature profiles (T Pi) in a time/temperature diagram, wherein the number of predicted temperature profiles (T Pi) represents a possible restart of the electric motor at the respective restart time with the respectively determined starting value; - determining a respective quality measure (GM(T Pi)) for the number of predicted temperature profiles (T Pi), wherein the quality measure (GM(T Pi)) is a measure of the efficiency of how good the restart time is with respect to the expected thermal loading and a minimum of the cooling time period; and - mapping the quality measures (GM(T Pi)) onto a color scale which is visually output at a user interface, wherein time information relating to the restart of the electric motor is output in response to a user interaction which is input via the user interface. - receiving measurement data measured during the operation of the electric motor, wherein the measurement data are electrical and/or kinetic physical variables of the electric motor; - determining at least one temperature value, approximated to a virtual real value, by means of a mathematical module, derived from a predefineable motor geometry, for physical variables of the overall state of the motor, and from the received measurement data as input data; - predicting a number of temperature profiles (T Pi) with different restart times (t(T Pi)), wherein the temperature profiles (T Pi) are each dependent on the overall state of the electric motor and/or on the configuration of the electric motor, in order to define a cooling time period for reducing the thermal loading on the electric motor, wherein the approximated temperature value, which results from the at least one virtual real value, is input as a respective starting value for a restart into the temperature profile which is to be predicted; - displaying the temperature profile (T V), which lies in the past, together with the number of predicted temperature profiles (T Pi) in a time/temperature diagram, wherein the number of predicted temperature profiles (T Pi) represents a possible restart of the electric motor at the respective restart time with the respectively determined starting value; - determining a respective quality measure (GM(T Pi)) for the number of predicted temperature profiles (T Pi), wherein the quality measure (GM(T Pi)) is a measure of the efficiency of how good the restart time is with respect to the expected thermal loading and a minimum of the cooling time period; and - mapping the quality measures (GM(T Pi)) onto a color scale which is visually output at a user interface, wherein time information relating to the restart of the electric motor is output in response to a user interaction which is input via the user interface.