The recent training course in Poland, attended by participants from multiple countries, aimed to explore and enhance mindfulness practices among young people. Mindfulness, defined as the process of bringing one’s attention to the present moment, was highlighted for its global relevance in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. The participants developed a comprehensive toolkit featuring diverse activities designed to cultivate mindfulness, foster mental well-being, and enhance emotional resilience. These activities ranged from mindful breathing and mindful eating to nature walks and art creation, offering practical methods to integrate mindfulness into daily life.
One key activity, “Mindful Breathing,” introduced participants to deep, focused breathing as a tool for managing stress and improving concentration. “A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words” involved participants taking photos in nature and reflecting on the emotions evoked, fostering a mindful spirit and connection with others.
“Can You Feel the Music” used music to help participants express their emotions and practice mindful listening. Other activities, such as “Nature Sensory Exploration” and “Discover Your Values,” emphasized self-reflection and a deeper connection with nature and personal values. Additionally, exercises like “Mindful Eye Contact” and “Self-Reflection” encouraged participants to develop mindfulness through focused interaction and personal introspection. These varied activities collectively provided accessible and engaging methods to promote mindfulness and mental health among youth and youth workers.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Mindfulness can be described as “the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment”. Nowadays, it is widely used all over the world as a form of relaxation techniques, as well as to reduce stress, or even depression or anxiety.
We deeply believe that Mindfulness can be a useful and innovative tool to be used with young people.
Therefore, we believe that being aware of our own ‘mental scripts’ and being mindful of them (&realizing them and the process around it), can greatly contribute for being more tolerant and mindful for other people, and fight stereotypes and prejudice, thus also contribute towards inclusion of excluded and marginalized groups. Furthermore, since 2020, we have also experienced the importance of competencies regarding online work and online tools since the start of the global pandemic. Therefore, this project will also focus on developing these skills. While exploring Mindfulness, we will explore how to use online tools and methods to reach young people with the created tools dedicated to this topic. Thus, also develops the competencies of youth workers when it comes to digital youth work.