Podcast 'A healthy work life with Susanne Scheibe'

Work is a fundamental part of human existence. We spend the majority of our adult lives working, so what do we need to know to promote a healthy working life? Susanne Scheibe, Professor of Organizational Psychology, studies how people change over the course of their working years, with a focus on emotional development and stress in daily life. In the podcast series Stress Navigation, she shares more about her research.

In the episode titled “A Healthy Work Life with Susanne Scheibe”, Scheibe discusses various aspects of a healthy working life: people-centered work, job demands and resources, and aging in the workplace.

Within organizations, culture plays a major role: a competitive culture can create extra stress, while a culture focused on collaboration can be protective. Susanne emphasizes the importance of people-centered work, which takes basic needs—such as competence, autonomy, and social connectedness—into account.

Scheibe also discusses job demands and job resources. Job demands are aspects of work that consume energy, such as emotional strain in healthcare or education. These demands are increasing due to technological developments and greater work flexibility. Scheibe explains: “We are constantly connected, (…) and that makes it really difficult to recover—from stress, from work stress, and from all work demands.” Job resources are elements that help employees cope with these demands, such as support from colleagues. Emotional job resources can be either taxing or satisfying, depending on the context and level of social support.

A third topic discussed is aging at work. Susanne advocates recognizing the value of older employees and countering negative stereotypes. Older employees are often better at regulating emotions and managing stress but sometimes face age discrimination.

Stress in Action – About the Project
Stress in Action is a research project funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO), in which seven Dutch universities and UMCs collaborate on a ten-year study of stress. More information about Stress in Action can be found on the project website.