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Be Kind to Your Mind

2022-1-SE02-KA152-YOU-0000701032022Mobility of young peopleongoing
Countries: SE|IT|ES|TR|LT|PT|MK · Grant: €33,391
Physical and mental health, well-being

Objectives

Mental health has a large intrinsic value as it relates to the core of what makes us human: the way we interact, connect, learn, work and experience, etc, it gives us the possibility to live our lives at full potential. Even before COVID-19 emerged, statistics on mental health conditions were already high: • Depression affects 264 million people in the world; • Around half of all mental health conditions start by age 14, and suicide is the second leading cause of death in young people aged 15-29; • More than 1 in 5 people living in settings affected by conflict have a mental health condition; • People with severe mental conditions die 10-20 years earlier than the general population; During the Covid-19 era, significant changes to the daily lives of young people happened - as the movements are restricted in support of efforts to contain and slow down the spread of the virus. Faced with the new realities of working from home, temporary unemployment, home-schooling, and lack of physical contact with other family members, friends, and colleagues, it is important that we look after our mental, as well as our physical health. According to the World Health Organization more than a quarter of the European young population has experienced at least one mental disorder during the pandemic, e.g. depression, anxiety, panic attacks. Yet, only a fraction of them has ever asked for (professional) help. Therefore, the project’s main mission was to explore non-formal methods of raising awareness of the importance of mental health in the overall frame of health and preventing mental health problems among youngsters. Project objectives are created to: - raise awareness about the importance of mental health, especially in times of a global pandemic. - define what mental health is, and raise awareness of it’s importance. - encourage emotional support among participants during times of pandemic. - share ways of supporting a positive mental health lifestyle through practicing self-esteem, positive affirmations, mindfulness, etc.. - empower participants to detect and talk about their feelings, fears, and thoughts. - reduce prejudices towards youngsters struggling with some mental health difficulties. - advise participants how to live a healthier lifestyle and cope with the surrounding stress, and challenges. - gain a set of skills on how to spread awareness about mental health. - brainstorm ideas for new projects and initiatives leading to raising awareness on the mental health stigma, which could be implemented with the support of Erasmus + Programme. - increase knowledge of the participants on the Erasmus + Programme and encourage participants to take part in non formal-based learning activities. - create a visual diary in the form of a video and a Booklet, that will inform, empower, motivate, and spread positivity among the youth. During those 7 days the participants spent in Floda, Sweden, we organized several activities for youngsters interested in the topic of mental health and well-being, in order to increase their awareness of its importance, spread positive thinking, and empower and motivate youth to be actors of positive change in their local communities. It included various indoor and outdoor activities, working individually and in groups.

Project partners (7)