Workshop Autonomie Duurzaam Eigen Maken (Dutch language)

Performance pressure, decision-making stress, feeling overwhelmed... We'd all like to know how to deal with it. Or rather, how to prevent it. How do you learn to deal with expectations of yourself and others, with stress and emotions? This is called "autonomy" in psychology. Autonomous behavior is based on self-knowledge. The more insight and control you have over yourself, the better you can deal with difficult situations.

Utrecht University has developed a training, teaching you in 10 weeks a lot about finding and strengthening your autonomy. The name of the training, ADEM, stands for  ‘Autonomie Duurzaam Eigen Maken’ in Dutch, which means that you learn how to develop a stance of your own in a sustainable and lasting way. It was developed by Dr. Annerieke Oosterwegel, development psychologist and lecturer in Psychology, with help from grants from the Faculty of Social Sciences and the national Comeniusnetwork for innovation in education. The content is based on scientific research, translated into daily experiences. The basis of the training consists of independently reading the material and making assignments. During this period, 5 group meetings, of two hours each, are planned. In the group meetings provide room for questions about the materials and discussion of the assignments. We also do some experiential exercises. The meetings are interactive and your contribution is obligatory. Between the meetings you make 2 home assignments of a maximum of half a day each and afterwards you write a short manual for yourself.

During this course we expect a certain time investment in which you go through the material, make assignments and attend all meetings, with the aim of letting you experience control over your study career and well-being. The manuals of students who have previously made the assignments show that after completion, these students have a better understanding of how they react in different situations. They are able to manage themselves more effectively. They take better care of themselves, are better able to regulate their motivation and experience more balance between study, work and private life.