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To-Do(n't)

2025-3-EL02-KA152-YOU-0003731222025Mobility of young peopleongoing
Countries: EL|RS|TR|MK|ES|CZ · Grant: €50,749
Physical and mental health, well-being

Objectives

To-Do(n't) aims to tackle one of the most overlooked challenges in young people’s lives today, which is toxic productivity. Many young people experience pressure to constantly achieve, whether in school, work or personal goals, which harms their mental health, physical wellbeing, relationships and overall sense of balance. Through this youth exchange, we want to create a safe space where participants can pause, reflect and recognise these patterns in themselves and in their peers. By exploring the difference between healthy motivation and destructive overwork, they will gain both awareness and practical tools to navigate this pressure. The project is designed from the perspective of youth work practice, meaning it will provide information and engage participants in experiential and participatory learning. They will work through scenarios, creative outputs and intercultural exchanges that bring the topic to life and connect it to their daily realities. Instead of only learning “what toxic productivity is,” participants will test and reflect on concrete strategies such as setting boundaries, taking restorative breaks and challenging perfectionist thinking. This ensures that learning is both personal and actionable. At the same time, the project strengthens the intercultural and social dimensions of youth work. By working in mixed international groups, participants will compare cultural attitudes toward productivity and self-worth, and in doing so, they will also practice the EU values of dignity, equality and participation. This will help them realise that the challenge of toxic productivity is not only personal but also social, and that cooperation, empathy and solidarity are part of the solution. The project seeks to empower young people to become more balanced, self-aware and resilient. It shows that protecting mental health is not a luxury but a foundation for participation, learning and active citizenship. The experience and outputs they co-create will be comics, posters and the To-Do(n't) journal. They will extend this impact beyond the exchange itself, equipping young people and peers across Europe with practical, youth-friendly resources to address toxic productivity in their own communities.

Project partners (6)