“From stressed OUT to stress LESS”

Environment established through non-formal education in youth work enriched with concepts from psychology related to stress and stress regulation can bring this topic and necessary skills closer to young people in a comprehensive way. This programme covers the physical, emotional, social and cognitive aspects of dealing with stress. 

Mental health is set as goal number 5 in the European Youth Agenda (2019-2025). One of the proposed strategies to promote mental health is to provide young people with education that builds emotional skills and the ability to manage their mental health.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) when defining mental health as a state of well-being enfaces the importance of having abilities to cope with stresses in our daily lives.

And where can young people learn about stress and resilience before they need mental health providers? There are not many positive mental health programs as early interventions nor in schools or in NGOs or in communities, based on social and emotional educational activities.  This training is our way to contribute to the promotion of mental health of youngsters by developing competences of youth workers, trainers, leaders, mentors to be proactive in designing prevention activities for building resilience of young people they work with even before they are faced with difficulties, challenges and adversities. 

Objectives:

• To explore and get to know different realities regarding the existence of positive educational mental health programs and stress management activities for young people in our communities;
• To promote youth work setting and NFE values and principles as an empowering environment for strengthening the resilience of young people and learning different coping emotional and cognitive skills;
• To explore and discuss the causes of stress young people are facing today;
• To learn, discuss and understand basic concepts behind stress management;
• To promote and introduce the concept of emotional intelligence and how to build it through social and emotional learning (SEL) of young people;
• To raise the competences of youth workers to be actively engaged in designing and implementing residential/virtual activities for enhancing emotional and body awareness and regulation;
• To raise the competences of youth workers to be actively engaged in designing and implementing residential/virtual activities for enhancing cognitive strategies for coping with stress young people face; 
• To share concrete relaxation practices and techniques useful for the prevention of burnout and enhancing well-being both of youth workers and the young people they work with;
• To raise competences for adaptation of coaching or psychology-based tools for NFE/youth work for stress management skills development of young people from different backgrounds;
• To plan, design and apply concrete workshops related to the topic of stress for youth workers and youngsters using SEL activities;
• To build a community of youth workers, educators, and trainers for seeking support and building resilience in each other.