Inner Work World - Rethinking Mental Wellbeing At Work

In recent years, it has become incredibly common to casually label any difficult boss or demanding colleague a "narcissist" or a "psychopath." But what happens when we use these clinical terms as corporate buzzwords? And more importantly, how do we recognize and handle the individuals who actually do possess these destructive traits before they cause irreparable harm to their teams? In this episod...

What happens when the structure that has organized your life for decades suddenly falls away? For over 25 years, Mia Seppo built a distinguished career within the United Nations, coordinating humanitarian responses, running elections in fragile states, and most recently serving as Assistant Director-General at the International Labour Organization (ILO). Her work provided her with profound purpose...

In this episode of Inner Work World , host Susanna Sjoberg is joined by Dr. Irina Cozma, an executive and career coach with a PhD in organizational psychology. They dive into the concept of "possibility thinking" and explore why so many highly accomplished professionals experience career dread and feel completely trapped in their roles. Dr. Kosmel explains that feeling stuck usually doesn’t stem f...

When we talk about organizational well-being, the focus often falls on individual resilience, such as stress management, personal boundaries, or productivity hacks. But in reality, true flourishing rarely happens in isolation; it thrives in community. In this episode of Inner Work, host Susanna Sjöberg welcomes Dr. Janvier Rugira, a psychologist with 18 years of experience supporting personnel in...

When we talk about managing workplace stress and burnout, we usually reach for mental solutions—mindset shifts, breathing exercises, or calendar audits. But stress is a physical experience, and the body relies entirely on how we fuel it to navigate high-pressure demands. In this return episode of Inner Work , host Susanna Sjöberg welcomes back Jessica Hofmans, a certified Health Coach, Nutrition S...

What actually happens inside our bodies when workplace pressure turns toxic? Why do psychological threats, subtle microaggressions, and institutional gaslighting leave deep, measurable impacts on employee well-being and performance? In this episode, Susanna Sjöberg sits down with Dr. Jennifer Fraser—founder of The Bullied Brain , award-winning educator, and author of The Gaslit Brain: Protect Your...

Why are traditional diversity and workplace initiatives falling short? What happens when we stop trying to "fix" individuals and instead focus on fixing the structures, processes, and systems they operate within? In this episode, Susanna Sjöberg sits down with Siri Chilazi, a senior researcher at the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard Kennedy School and co-author of Make Work Fair: Data Dr...

What happens to our bodies when the pressure is turned up? Why do highly rehearsed skills—whether swinging a golf club, shooting a free throw, or delivering a critical corporate pitch—suddenly evaporate when we need them most? In this episode, Susanna Sjöberg sits down with Michael Allison, an elite performance and leadership coach, founder of Autonomic Agility, and educational partner with the Po...

When high achievers hit a wall, the typical advice is to scale back, download a new productivity app, or lower their ambitions. But what if the problem isn’t the scale of our goals, but the structural design of our internal operating systems? According to future-of-learning expert and advisor Janine Mathó, true sustainability in a high-pressure world requires shifting our focus from external perfo...

When we think of grief, we usually think of personal, private tragedies—the death of a loved one or a severe life crisis. But what happens when grief enters the workplace? According to leadership advisor Patricia Bravo, organizations are constantly asking people to "let go" of roles, team members, strategies, and workplace identities without giving them the space to process the resulting loss. In...

How do you find your way back to yourself when you’ve lost everything—your health, your career, your identity, and even your home? In this episode, Susanna Sjöberg speaks with Nathalie , an artist, filmmaker, and author of I Am Alive . Nathalie shares her harrowing yet transformative journey from a stage three cervical cancer diagnosis in Paris to a life of service and spiritual devotion in South...

Psychologist Floriana Poggia joins Susanna Sjöberg to pull back the curtain on the world of mental health support. Drawing from her own transition from international marketing to psychology, Floriana explains the "why" and "how" of seeking help, and why the relationship with your therapist is often more important than the method itself. What you'll learn: The Career Leap: Why Floriana left a multi...

Functional medicine practitioner, chiropractor, and best-selling author Dr. Navaz Habib (known as "The Vagus Nerve Doc") joins Susanna Sjöberg to explore the critical link between the vagus nerve and our ability to recover from the high-pressure demands of the modern workplace. What you'll learn: The "Superhighway" Concept: Why the vagus nerve is the essential communication link between your brain...

Leadership psychologist, award winning author, TedX speaker and resilience expert Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier joins Susanna Sjöberg to unpack the biggest misconceptions high performers carry about resilience — and what the research actually says. What you'll learn: Why resilience is a state , not a personality trait — and what that means for how you manage it The early warning signs of burnout that...

The conversation delves into the psychology of work and exhaustion, exploring the concept of joyful exhaustion and its contrast with burnout. It also discusses the importance of meaningful tasks, self-application of research findings, and the balance between work and recovery. Additionally, it addresses factors influencing burnout, the impact of global uncertainty on exhaustion, self-care, early s...

Jessica Hofmans shares her journey from a career in medicine to becoming a holistic health coach, emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach to well-being. She discusses the impact of motherhood on her life and the shift towards a more present and balanced lifestyle. The conversation explores the significance of self-care, inner dialogue, and seeking support for overall well-being in both p...

In this episode of Inner Work World, host Susanna Sjöberg speaks with Dr. Sud, a physician who shares his journey through job loss and the emotional challenges that accompany it. Dr. Sud discusses the importance of resilience, spiritual practices, and the role of support systems in navigating difficult times. He emphasizes the need for open conversations about mental health and the significance of...