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Fifty Shades of Mind

2023-3-LT02-KA152-YOU-0001753362023Mobility of young peopleongoing
Countries: LT|PL|ES|CZ|RO · Grant: €21,902
Physical and mental health, well-being

Objectives

By implementing the youth exchange project "Fifty Shades of Mind", the desirable achievement was to raise awareness of the importance of making healthy, balanced life choices for both mental and physical health. In light of the significant mental health issues and medical conditions caused by a lack of well-being and sedentary lifestyles in Europe, with the main focus on young people, the project had a few specific objectives: 1. To enhance the level of resilience of 30 young people from Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Spain by equipping them with practical tools and strategies to manage stress, overcome barriers to physical activity, tackle stigma and mental health strategies; 2. To increase the knowledge of 30 young people from 5 different countries about the benefits of physical activity and psychology practices in reducing the levels of stress, building healthy coping strategies and reducing the risk of major illnesses; 3. To cultivate transferable skills in 30 young people from 5 different countries, such as communication, analytical thinking, decision-making, stress management and leadership skills, highly valuable in accessing future opportunities and enhancing the quality of their work, from the perspective of youth work practice. On the other side, "Fifty Shades of Mind" focused on enhancing the understanding of well-being strategies and non-formal activities that encourage teamwork, mutual collaboration and creativity in a supportive environment. The psychological approach covered various techniques for recognizing and expressing emotions, as well as increasing awareness of panic attack symptoms and catastrophic thoughts. It included stress management strategies and the ABC cognitive model for cognitive restructuring. Participants engaged in collaborative drawings to foster inclusivity and empathy, and explored cognitive biases and their effects on mental health. Additionally, the approach involved structured reflection on daily stressors, guided mindfulness meditation sessions and role-playing exercises to highlight the inequality of opportunities and cultivate empathy. Various other creative activities were also incorporated. The physically engaging approach included strategic games such as "Catch the Tail," "Everything you do I can do better," and "Tavli," alongside traditional childhood games like "Baba Yaga Patrzy," "Tara Tara Vrem Ostasi," "Tip-Top," "Skipper can I sail over?," and "Cavaleria", inclusive dance performances, the connection between mind and body, games introduced by participants, active energisers and team-building exercises to promote strategic thinking, a healthy competitive spirit, and camaraderie among participants. Finally, the Erasmus+ methodology comprised the opportunities offered by the KA1 action, the Youthpass promotion and an entrepreneurship-focused session, aiming to foster creativity and project development skills.

Project partners (5)