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Your Trail to Mental Balance

2026-1-CZ01-KA152-YOU-0003976592026Mobility of young peopleongoing
Countries: CZ|RO|CY|LT|HU · Grant: €38,383
Basic skills and key competencesPhysical and mental health, well-beingEuropean identity and values

Objectives

The main objective of the project “Your Trail to Mental Balance” is to create a safe, inclusive and stimulating space for 35 young people from five European countries. The project is a response to the deteriorating mental health of young people from the participating organizations. The project responds to the increase in anxiety, stress and loss of social competences among young people, which is based on an initial needs analysis conducted on more than 150 young people from different countries of the European Union. Our goal is to equip participants with practical tools for mental hygiene, strengthen their resilience and show them that the path to inner balance leads through connection with nature, movement and community activities. From the perspective of youth work practice, the project is conceived as a comprehensive educational process that connects three key dimensions: mental health, inclusion and environmental sustainability. With the project, we want to help young people better manage stress and teach them the basics of mental hygiene. The primary goal is to teach young people how to consciously work with their emotions and stress. We do not want to stay only with theory, during the workshops participants will practically master mindfulness techniques, breathing exercises, meditation and work with sensory perception. The goal is for them to understand the physiological processes associated with happiness and stress hormones and be able to influence them in their everyday lives. From the perspective of youth work, this is key to preventing burnout and supporting a healthy lifestyle. The project is designed to support inclusion and diversity. It integrates 16 participants with limited opportunities (primarily social, economic, health or cultural barriers). Our goal is to create an environment where differences are blurred and become a source of mutual enrichment. By using methods such as the “Circle as a tool of inclusion” or sports activities such as Disc Golf (which does not require previous skills and is inexpensive), we want to achieve the involvement of all participants regardless of their background and show that active participation is possible for everyone by integrating appropriate methods. We want to achieve a balance between the online and offline worlds. Our goal is not to ban technology, but to consciously guide young people to other ways of relaxing than scrolling on social networks. As part of the follow-up activities, we will change their consumerist way of spending time on social networks to a creative one, where they will create digital outputs themselves. Participants will undergo a partial digital detox thanks to a stay in nature and an intensive youth exchange program, but they will also learn to work with graphic tools (Canva Pro) for creating booklets and visuals and working with shared documents. This will increase their digital competences and chances for further employment. An important goal of the project is to strengthen European values and civic engagement. We will contribute to this by promoting the Council of Europe's cultural trails and visiting places associated with the history of the Iron Curtain Symbolic places such as the Meeting Bell in Hojná Voda will help participants develop an understanding of the value of freedom, democracy and European solidarity. The aim is to learn from historical mistakes and use them to combat hatred, prejudice and xenophobia that young people encounter today. The project aims to connect mental health care with care for the planet (the concept of Eco-anxiety vs. Nature connectedness). Through workshops such as “Youth for a Green and Peaceful Europe” and the preference for green travel, we guide participants towards sustainable behaviour, awareness of the impacts of consumer life on their psyche and the environment, and overall environmental responsibility. Methodologically, the project is built on the principles of non-formal education and experiential pedagogy. Activities are structured in such a way that the cycle: experience - reflection - generalisation - application occurs. The reflection process using the Youthpass methodology plays a crucial role in the project. Thanks to daily reflections on learning, participants will become aware of their progress, competences and will be able to describe their emotions. Facilitators and group leaders do not act as teachers, but as guides who help create a safe framework for peer-to-peer learning and self-discovery. The emphasis on outdoor activities (pilgrimage, walking as therapy) brings physical activities and their therapeutic effects back into youth work, which are often neglected. The project thus fulfills the objectives of Erasmus+ by shaping active, mentally resilient and socially aware young Europeans.

Project partners (5)