Rise and grind! Have you heard of the ‘grindset’? A mindset that puts being busy and striving for success above everything else. This work-hard-play-hard-mentality has found its way into every part of our society. Only, at what cost? Let’s talk about it!

Who doesn’t want to be successful, right? But after another day of putting in long hours, you might feel like chasing the end of that to-do list is not really giving you the satisfaction you hoped for. You’ll be encouraged to look for a healthy work-life balance but that’s easier said than done. What do you do if your fellow students are normalising study sessions till midnight and expectations from future employers are high? Let’s try to crack the system to get out of that ‘grindset’ and into a different mindset.

Together with moderators Tirsa and Jan we’ll dive into the workings of grind culture. We’ll consider what working hard bring us, yet how we can also normalise making your mental health a priority. Afterwards, there will be lots of time to socialise and enjoy a free lunch.

We’re inviting two experts on the topic of grind culture and performance pressure to enlighten us with their knowledge. During the talk and afterwards during the lunch, you can ask them anything you’d like!

Thomas den Hartog is a freelance trainer who helps young professionals develop their soft skills. Together with him we’ll look at the difference between working hard and grinding and find out what it actually means to be productive.

Verena Schmidt is an HU student counsellor and mindfulness trainer. She will help you examine what your values are and how to think about this in the context of your work-study-life balance.

Vlad Moldovan is a Creative Business student who owns 3 companies, works at the HU, and is vice chair of study association LinkUp. He will share his own experiences with grind culture.

Being online all the time, and being available at every hour of the day. Constant notifications on your phone. Doesn’t that feel overwhelming sometimes? Let’s talk about it! In this event series by Podium, we start up conversations about self-care in the digital age.

The primary language at this event will be English. The theatre hall is located on the ground floor of PL99 and is wheelchair accessible. There is also an accessible toilet for wheelchairs nearby. The event is open to both Dutch-speaking and international students. Lunch will be vegetarian. We invite people who are fasting for Ramadan to take some food home for later. If you have any worries or needs that might prevent you from participating in this event, please let us know by sending a message to podium@hu.nl and we will try to accommodate as best as we can.