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The Hero's Journey according to Joseph Campbell - video by Matthew Winkler and Kirill Yeretsky

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Recognising, naming and understanding emotionsi

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Recognising, naming and understanding emotionsi

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The aim of "The colours of feelings and needs" is to support people in acquiring and developing the ability to identify, express, interpret and reflect upon their own feelings and needs.

We equip practitioners: as educators, trainers and youth workers - with an innovative tool in the form of illustrated cards of feelings and needs.

By offering the set of cards which consists of 4 different painting styles we offer the tool which may reach a much wider public, each painting style is a different language of communication.
Everyone can find their own card.

The first part of the project - research, consisted of collecting visual expressions of feelings coming from different cultural backgrounds and minority groups of young people. We have analysed literature, social media and made workshops.

Based on the research outcomes 5 different artists with different art styles created a set of 160 illustrations representing 40 feelings in 4 different painting styles. And 96 illustrations of needs in digital design.

Cards were tested during several workshops in Poland and Germany.

The project was co-financed by Erasmus+ Program and hosted by ARTE EGO Foundation in Poland and GrenzKultur / Cabuwazi in Germany.

My paintings are abstract, however, are based on reality.
I give great importance to the form and aesthetics of my work.
I paint according to classic definitions of beauty where I am looking for visual balance.

The peace will not be boring, that dynamism will not become Chaos, the rhythm will not change into monotony.

These paintings are just surfaces covered with colourful blots with different textures. The surface is somewhere divided more, somewhere less, something emerges from the darkness, something dies in the light.

My name is Paweł Hulpowski Szulz, and I am the artist living currently in Lublin, Poland.

Through the social campaign, I have asked 40 different people to make selfies expressing one of 40 feelings.

Selfie captures face as a reflection in a mirror, this makes the portrait of a feeling more a feeling than a person. Out of these selfies, I painted 40 oil portraits on wood.

Behind those portraits are real feelings of real people. Each of them is a different journey. I was surprised by the process of painting.

My name is Dagna Gmitrowicz, and I am the artist fascinated by the nature and beauty of people, currently living in Berlin. www.dagna.space

Those 40 big format acrylic paintings on paper are the metaphors of feelings. Nature in a context of civilization.

In my work animals are the actors representing feelings. Additionally, there is an allegory of the poker deck, we can´t always control the intensity or timing of our feelings but we can decide how to play them...
I have chosen 8 specials playing card: 4 AceFeelings and 4 JokerFeelings.

I used mix-media, the ideal way to explain Feelings, where Feeling is not a solid piece. I can see each of them like a big mosaic integrated from many small pieces. I have used a highly glossy pepper on wich inks, acryls, oil pastel and all pieces of old paper are exposed to more immediate ageing and deterioration, thereby showing the vulnerable and delicate face of feelings.

I'm Hector, I come from Gijón, Asturias (North-West Spain).

https://hectorgrafiko.wixsite.com/caricaturist/

The biggest discovery turned out to be a whole range of feelings - their weight, gradation, warmth and cold, brightness and darkness.
The feelings that are an invisible part of our lives. They are so obvious that we completely stopped seeing them, hearing, feeling.

Will my interpretation correspond with someone on the other side of the table?
Senses and feelings are intertwined. The perception of the world by a man with feelings is like a meadow overgrown with dozens or hundreds of species of grass essay and flowers. Sensitive to the gentlest breeze, hot sun, the first drops of rain carrying a saving relief. Or a violent summer storm, and a downpour that all rife into a dry thread carrying a cleansing. And in winter, feelings hide under a thick layer of snow or deep underground. They flow with the current of the river, some fight and force themselves to flow against it.

My name is Piotr Borzęcki, I am the painter and pottery artist, currently living in small-town Srtyków in Poland.

For the representation of these 96 needs, made with a graphic tablet, I had to study the importance of colours and shapes. It is like a game of colours and shapes, lights and shadows, fullness and emptiness.

The representations are mostly figurative, there is a lot of inspiration of human being, there is a reference to nature, plants, flowers and branches.

I'm Ester Vescovi, an Italian artist residing in Bergamo (Italy).

https://www.instagram.com/vescoviester/

The goals of this project were accomplished in several stages of research. First, we delineated the 40 most common/known feelings. We wanted a universal view of the most familiar feelings, which is why we distributed a questionnaire online to anyone willing to participate, though we prioritized replies from youth. We received over 200 responses from participants from a wide range of countries.

Next, we organized a set of workshops for young people from Poland and Germany who belong to different social and cultural backgrounds. The workshops were run by our trainers who created a safe and supportive environment to help participants connect with their feelings and express them visually.
To ensure our research results had a more international and universal aspect, we organized an open social media call for anyone who wanted to join us in visually expressing their feelings and publishing it online on our social media pages. Simultaneously, we did a detailed literature analysis of the most current resources on the topic of the project. We consulted projects and magazines, as well as online resources where people published their own representations of targeted feelings and those of famous artists, which were all free to use by the public.
Finally, the final results of our research, i.e. the images we collected from the workshops, social media call and literature review, were used by the artists to create a set of 160 cards visually depicting the 40 most common emotions called "The Colors of Feelings and Needs".

How do you feel?"
"How would you express it with colours?"
Choose a pencil, grab a pastel, dip the pinsel.
Draw your inner world, follow the strokes of your emotions.
With this invitation, I approached people all around Europe collecting visual expressions of feelings for the research phase of this project.
I talked and painted with people from various backgrounds, in different contexts, from pop-up stations in public spaces to smoky empty bars, during an ecological demonstration or individual sessions on Skype.
The result is a huge collection of pictures that shows the diversity of our emotional vocabularies as well as the common threads of our visual imagination.
My name is Lorena Terzi, I am a youth worker based in Berlin, where I mix circus, art and storytelling to foster personal development and community building.

My name is Magdalena Malinowska. I am a CNVC Certified Trainer sharing Nonviolent Communication through trainings for non-governmental organisations, companies and individuals interested in creating peaceful relations (personal and professional). I live in Sweden and Poland. www.empathiceurope.com

My name is Marta Brzezińska-Hubert and I'm a trainer and a sociologist linking research with practice, based in Warsaw. I am passionate for intercultural education, personal growth and innovative learning approaches. As I believe that the ability to recognise and express own feelings and needs is a key for empowerment and successful communication, I was happy to be part of this project and to invite young people to connect with their emotions and visualise them.

Tatjana Glogovac is a strong believer in the power of humanistic education and approaching every person she works with as a special and unique human being. She has a BA and MA in English Language and Literature Teaching and another MA in Humanistic Sciences in Philology (Erasmus Mundus scholarship), where she wrote her thesis about cognitive biases in education.

She has been an English teacher for over 8 years and a writer for over 6, writing mainly educational articles about personal and professional self-development. https://tatjanaglogovac.com/

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We share with you 256 cards illustrating feelings and needs referring to Marshal Rosenberg list. Cards are painted in 5 different styles: abstract, portraits, fantasy, illustration and digital art. Project co-financed by Erasmus + Youth managed by Arte Ego Foundation & Grenz Kultur CABUWAZI.

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Stress isn’t always a bad thing; it can be handy for a burst of extra energy and focus, like when you’re playing a competitive sport or have to speak in public. But when it’s continuous, it actually begins to change your brain. Madhumita Murgia shows how chronic stress can affect brain size, its structure, and how it functions, right down to the level of your genes. [Directed by Andrew Zimbelman, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Josh Smoak].

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Recognising, naming and understanding emotionsi

# data[].attributes.subject
Recognising, naming and understanding emotionsi

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The aim of "The colours of feelings and needs" is to support people in acquiring and developing the ability to identify, express, interpret and reflect upon their own feelings and needs.

We equip practitioners: as educators, trainers and youth workers - with an innovative tool in the form of illustrated cards of feelings and needs.

By offering the set of cards which consists of 4 different painting styles we offer the tool which may reach a much wider public, each painting style is a different language of communication.
Everyone can find their own card.

The first part of the project - research, consisted of collecting visual expressions of feelings coming from different cultural backgrounds and minority groups of young people. We have analysed literature, social media and made workshops.

Based on the research outcomes 5 different artists with different art styles created a set of 160 illustrations representing 40 feelings in 4 different painting styles. And 96 illustrations of needs in digital design.

Cards were tested during several workshops in Poland and Germany.

The project was co-financed by Erasmus+ Program and hosted by ARTE EGO Foundation in Poland and GrenzKultur / Cabuwazi in Germany.

My paintings are abstract, however, are based on reality.
I give great importance to the form and aesthetics of my work.
I paint according to classic definitions of beauty where I am looking for visual balance.

The peace will not be boring, that dynamism will not become Chaos, the rhythm will not change into monotony.

These paintings are just surfaces covered with colourful blots with different textures. The surface is somewhere divided more, somewhere less, something emerges from the darkness, something dies in the light.

My name is Paweł Hulpowski Szulz, and I am the artist living currently in Lublin, Poland.

Through the social campaign, I have asked 40 different people to make selfies expressing one of 40 feelings.

Selfie captures face as a reflection in a mirror, this makes the portrait of a feeling more a feeling than a person. Out of these selfies, I painted 40 oil portraits on wood.

Behind those portraits are real feelings of real people. Each of them is a different journey. I was surprised by the process of painting.

My name is Dagna Gmitrowicz, and I am the artist fascinated by the nature and beauty of people, currently living in Berlin. www.dagna.space

Those 40 big format acrylic paintings on paper are the metaphors of feelings. Nature in a context of civilization.

In my work animals are the actors representing feelings. Additionally, there is an allegory of the poker deck, we can´t always control the intensity or timing of our feelings but we can decide how to play them...
I have chosen 8 specials playing card: 4 AceFeelings and 4 JokerFeelings.

I used mix-media, the ideal way to explain Feelings, where Feeling is not a solid piece. I can see each of them like a big mosaic integrated from many small pieces. I have used a highly glossy pepper on wich inks, acryls, oil pastel and all pieces of old paper are exposed to more immediate ageing and deterioration, thereby showing the vulnerable and delicate face of feelings.

I'm Hector, I come from Gijón, Asturias (North-West Spain).

https://hectorgrafiko.wixsite.com/caricaturist/

The biggest discovery turned out to be a whole range of feelings - their weight, gradation, warmth and cold, brightness and darkness.
The feelings that are an invisible part of our lives. They are so obvious that we completely stopped seeing them, hearing, feeling.

Will my interpretation correspond with someone on the other side of the table?
Senses and feelings are intertwined. The perception of the world by a man with feelings is like a meadow overgrown with dozens or hundreds of species of grass essay and flowers. Sensitive to the gentlest breeze, hot sun, the first drops of rain carrying a saving relief. Or a violent summer storm, and a downpour that all rife into a dry thread carrying a cleansing. And in winter, feelings hide under a thick layer of snow or deep underground. They flow with the current of the river, some fight and force themselves to flow against it.

My name is Piotr Borzęcki, I am the painter and pottery artist, currently living in small-town Srtyków in Poland.

For the representation of these 96 needs, made with a graphic tablet, I had to study the importance of colours and shapes. It is like a game of colours and shapes, lights and shadows, fullness and emptiness.

The representations are mostly figurative, there is a lot of inspiration of human being, there is a reference to nature, plants, flowers and branches.

I'm Ester Vescovi, an Italian artist residing in Bergamo (Italy).

https://www.instagram.com/vescoviester/

The goals of this project were accomplished in several stages of research. First, we delineated the 40 most common/known feelings. We wanted a universal view of the most familiar feelings, which is why we distributed a questionnaire online to anyone willing to participate, though we prioritized replies from youth. We received over 200 responses from participants from a wide range of countries.

Next, we organized a set of workshops for young people from Poland and Germany who belong to different social and cultural backgrounds. The workshops were run by our trainers who created a safe and supportive environment to help participants connect with their feelings and express them visually.
To ensure our research results had a more international and universal aspect, we organized an open social media call for anyone who wanted to join us in visually expressing their feelings and publishing it online on our social media pages. Simultaneously, we did a detailed literature analysis of the most current resources on the topic of the project. We consulted projects and magazines, as well as online resources where people published their own representations of targeted feelings and those of famous artists, which were all free to use by the public.
Finally, the final results of our research, i.e. the images we collected from the workshops, social media call and literature review, were used by the artists to create a set of 160 cards visually depicting the 40 most common emotions called "The Colors of Feelings and Needs".

How do you feel?"
"How would you express it with colours?"
Choose a pencil, grab a pastel, dip the pinsel.
Draw your inner world, follow the strokes of your emotions.
With this invitation, I approached people all around Europe collecting visual expressions of feelings for the research phase of this project.
I talked and painted with people from various backgrounds, in different contexts, from pop-up stations in public spaces to smoky empty bars, during an ecological demonstration or individual sessions on Skype.
The result is a huge collection of pictures that shows the diversity of our emotional vocabularies as well as the common threads of our visual imagination.
My name is Lorena Terzi, I am a youth worker based in Berlin, where I mix circus, art and storytelling to foster personal development and community building.

My name is Magdalena Malinowska. I am a CNVC Certified Trainer sharing Nonviolent Communication through trainings for non-governmental organisations, companies and individuals interested in creating peaceful relations (personal and professional). I live in Sweden and Poland. www.empathiceurope.com

My name is Marta Brzezińska-Hubert and I'm a trainer and a sociologist linking research with practice, based in Warsaw. I am passionate for intercultural education, personal growth and innovative learning approaches. As I believe that the ability to recognise and express own feelings and needs is a key for empowerment and successful communication, I was happy to be part of this project and to invite young people to connect with their emotions and visualise them.

Tatjana Glogovac is a strong believer in the power of humanistic education and approaching every person she works with as a special and unique human being. She has a BA and MA in English Language and Literature Teaching and another MA in Humanistic Sciences in Philology (Erasmus Mundus scholarship), where she wrote her thesis about cognitive biases in education.

She has been an English teacher for over 8 years and a writer for over 6, writing mainly educational articles about personal and professional self-development. https://tatjanaglogovac.com/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We share with you 256 cards illustrating feelings and needs referring to Marshal Rosenberg list. Cards are painted in 5 different styles: abstract, portraits, fantasy, illustration and digital art. Project co-financed by Erasmus + Youth managed by Arte Ego Foundation & Grenz Kultur CABUWAZI.

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ID Talks Solutions and Mental Health by Lize Abrahams || Full Video

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Your guide to CAMHS and mental health support, including information on inpatient care, talking to your GP about mental health and counselling and therapy.

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Understanding pupils' behaviour | Resources

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Practical activities for school staff to use with pupils to help recognise and understand their behaviours as an expression of their wellbeing needs.

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If you have a serious concern about a young person's safety, you can make a safeguarding referral directly to the young person's local social care team. The best way to find out the correct contact details is to call the Local Authority's switchboard or search online for the name of the Local Authority and 'safeguarding'. If you are concerned about the immediate safety of a young person, you should call the emergency services on 999.

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How to talk to young people about mental health

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Read our guide for tips on how to have a conversation with young people about mental health, and how you can respond when a young person opens up to you.

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What To Do If You’re Experiencing Eating Problems

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Whether you have a diagnosed eating disorder like anorexia, bulimia or ARFID, or you have just begun to struggle with food and eating, help is available.

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Coping skills poster helps a young person in being aware of things that increase mental wellbeing and contribute to mental resilience.

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The Hero's Journey according to Joseph Campbell - video by Matthew Winkler and Kirill Yeretsky

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Our hard-wired stress response is designed to give us the quick burst of heightened alertness and energy needed to perform our best. But stress isn’t all good. When activated too long or too often, stress can damage virtually every part of our body. Sharon Horesh Bergquist gives us a look at what goes on inside our body when we are chronically stressed. [Directed by Adriatic Animation, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Jure Buljević].

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Digital Wellbeing Infographic with H&T and Reflection (1)

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Brené Brown studies human connection -- our ability to empathize, belong, love. In a poignant, funny talk, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity. A talk to share.

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Stress and the glass of water

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?”

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.”

It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!

[source unknown]

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A capable mentor’s toolkit includes the basics of supporting the mental health of volunteers

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How is the increase in young people’s mental health challenges reflected in international volunteer work? What can volunteer support and host organisations do to support the mental health of young volunteers? Three mentors who participated in the Supporting Volunteer’s Mental Health through Mentoring pilot training talk about their observations and experiences.

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Mental Health in Youth Work: a long term project of the National Agencies of Erasmus+ Youth and European Solidarity Corps

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If climate change and environment make young people take to the streets, these global challenges obviously have an influence on their mental health and wellbeing? What kind of approaches help you to address their climate-change worries? How can you promote climate resilience, both at an individual and at a societal level? Come and discover what role youth work can have to tackle climate-change anxiety.

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"Talking about war and peace" is a self-paced online course that guides you through a process of reflection and practical activities on how to approach this topic in your work, locally or in transnational events.

As a facilitator, trainer or youth worker that works with interculturally mixed groups of young people you know that it is difficult to address this topic. Indeed, talking about war and peace is a challenge.

This course aims at preparing and supporting you facing this challenge. The activities and reflections guide you through a process of self-clarification and introduces tools to work with young people locally or in transnational events.

How to facilitate learning in times of war and crisis?

To answer this, the course is focusing on three areas:

Me as a facilitator, trainer and youth worker (the personal level): This is all about how you can prepare yourself and create a safe space for yourself and the people you work with.

Me and others (the interpersonal level): This is about you, the young people you work with and the question of how to facilitate the learning process of individuals and groups in the context of war and crises.

Me and community (the local level): This is about you, your community and small actions that can be implemented by and in your community.

Additionally, this course has a toolbox with various approaches and tools on how to facilitate learning in times of war and crisis as well as a list of additional resources.

The context of this online course

This online course has its origins in the transnational seminar "How to talk about war? - Working with young people in times of war crisis", which took part 11-16 of July 2022 in Toruń, Poland. The seminar offered a space to reflect on how to talk with young people about the war, its consequences and how it affects our lives. And it inspired participants to take small actions and be impactful in their work as facilitators, trainers or youth workers. This online course also includes content from another residential event in Poland: "Social Inclusion of Young Refugees", a training course from 27 till 30 September 2022 in Gdańsk.

*******

Course authors: Michael Kimmig and Marta Brzezińska-Hubert

Course provider: SALTO Eastern Europe and Caucasus

Course duration: self-paced (approx. 3-4 hours / module)

Course language: English

Target group: facilitators, trainers, youth workers

Requirements: none

Learning recognition: HOP Certificate
Last update: 27. November 2022

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talking about war and peace. facilitating learning in times of crisis

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Talking about war and peace. Facilitating learning in times of crisis

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"Talking about war and peace" is a self-paced online course that guides you through a process of reflection and practical activities on how to approach this topic in your work, locally or in transnational events.

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Illustration by Ambitia; photos by AO, Charley Deluvio & Joey Nicotra on Unsplash Mental health in youth workers’ agenda? by Jelena Ilić and Marko Pejović 06/12/2021 During 2017-18,…

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https://japanintercultural.org/podcast/episode-18-culture-shock/

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Issue 32 - Coyote Magazine - pjp-eu.coe.int

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in Coyote magazine, commissioned by the EU-Council of Europe Youth Partnership, are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of either of the partner institutions, their member states or the organisations co-operating with them.

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LifeComp is a conceptual framework. It is non-prescriptive and can be used as a basis for the development of curricula and learning activities.

The framework describes nine competences (P1-3, S1-3, L1-3) that are structured in 3 intertwined competence areas:

Personal area

P1 self-regulation - awareness and management of emotions, thoughts and behaviour

P2 flexibility - ability to manage transitions and uncertainty, and to face challenges

P3 wellbeing - aursuit of life satisfaction, care of physical, mental and social health, and adoption of a sustainable lifestyle

Social area

S1 empathy - the understanding of another person's emotions, experiences and values, and the provision of appropriate responses

S2 communication - use of relevant communication strategies, domain-specific codes and tools depending on the context and the content

S3 collaboration - engagement in group activity and teamwork acknowledging and respecting others

Learning to learn area

L1 growth mindset - belief in one's and others' potential to continuously learn and progress

L2 critical thinking - assessment of information and arguments to support reasoned conclusions and develop innovative solutions

L3 managing learning - the planning, organising, monitoring and reviewing of one's own learning

LifeComp: The European Framework for Personal, Social and Learning to Learn Key Competence
Read the full report
Developing a European framework for the personal, social & learning to learn key competence (LifeComp) EntreComp: The Entrepreneurship Competence Framework DigComp 2.1: The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens with eight proficiency levels and examples of use European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators: DigCompEdu
Related Content

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LifeComp is a conceptual framework. It is non-prescriptive and can be used as a basis for the development of curricula and learning activities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Do you know how to find your Ikigai? The Japanese art of combining your passion and talents could be the game changer that helps uncover your true purpose in life.

Discovering your purpose in life can often feel elusive, but it can help you to live a more meaningful life. Oftentimes, finding purpose is about locating the intersection of the skills you have and the things you love. That's exactly what ikigai is about.

Ikigai is a Japanese concept of discovering your purpose through exploring the intersection of what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. This age-old philosophy offers a structured approach to identifying your purpose and leading a meaningful life. Keep reading to find out what ikigai is, explore the ikigai diagram, and get actionable steps to help you find your ikigai.

What is ikigai? The meaning and origin of the Japanese concept

Ikigai, pronounced "ee-kee-guy," is a Japanese concept that unites the joy of life with a sense of purpose. The term is a combination of the Japanese words 'iki' (to live) and 'gai' (reason), which together signify "a reason to live." While there isn't a direct translation of ikigai in English, this concept encapsulates the idea of finding joy in life through purpose in a unique way.

Rooted deeply in Japan's culture and history, ikigai holds belief in the value of life and the potential for happiness when you're aligned with your purpose. This philosophy has guided many toward a meaningful life lived with intention.

The ikigai diagram explained

The heart of ikigai is the ikigai diagram - a visual tool that helps you explore the intersection of four essential elements:

Finding the overlap of these four elements may sound difficult, but it's a journey worth taking. By reflecting on each of these elements and exploring where they overlap, you're well on your way to uncovering your ikigai and living a life filled with joy, satisfaction, and a sense of purpose that can keep you motivated each day.

4 ways to determine your ikigai

It's important to understand the four elements of ikigai to help you uncover your life's purpose.

1. Unveil your passion

Passions are the activities that make time fly by and cause you to feel excited and alive. It's what you enjoy doing most, and, perhaps something you'd do even if you weren't getting paid for it.

2. Recognize your vocation

Your skills and strengths are those things that you naturally excel at that might not come as easily to others. Perhaps you're skilled in math, writing, or creating music. Identifying your vocation is another way of tapping into your special skills that deserve recognition.

3. Discover your mission

This element of ikigai helps you explore the needs of the world and where you can make a difference. Are there problems or challenges in your community or in the world you feel passionate about solving? Identify them. There's your mission.

4. Cultivate your profession

Your profession is where you look at how to make a living from your passion and mission. For example, if you're a talented pianist who believes the world would be a better place if more people played music, you could begin to teach piano lessons. Turning your passion and mission into your profession can take time to develop. Trust the process.

The benefits of finding your ikigai

Aligning with the core principles of ikigai is a continuous process of self-discovery and growth and can provide many benefits to you and the community around you.

Increased happiness: When you live in alignment with your ikigai, your activities fill you with joy and satisfaction, because you're living for your purpose. This alignment can elevate your mood and foster a positive outlook on life.

Reduced stress: Stress sometimes stems from disconnection or dissatisfaction with life. Discovering your ikigai and aligning with what you love, what you're good at, and what the world needs may help to lower that stress and promote balance and tranquility.

A sense of fulfillment: When you're doing what you love and contributing positively to the world, it can bring profound feelings of fulfillment. Ikigai can enrich your life and the lives of those around you.

Enhanced motivation: When you have a clear sense of your ikigai, you have a driving force that propels you forward. It's a source of motivation that can keep you going, even when things get tough.

Improved health: Studies have shown that a sense of purpose in life can positively impact your health. It may even help to boost your immune system, lower anxiety, and possibly help you live longer.

Personal growth: Discovering and living your ikigai is a journey of self-improvement. It's about exploring new facets of your interests, honing your skills, and expanding your horizons.

How to find your ikigai: 10 ways to discover your purpose

Discovering your ikigai is a personal journey filled with exploration, reflection, and alignment. Take time for reflection as you delve deeper into understanding your ikigai and how you can bring fulfillment into your daily life.

1. Practice mindfulness

Engage in mindfulness practices to foster a deeper connection with your inner self. Mindfulness can help create a space of awareness where you can reflect on your passions, desires, and the activities that bring you joy and satisfaction.

Being present and attentive to your thoughts and feelings can provide clarity and insights as you journey toward finding your ikigai. Begin with simple mindfulness exercises, such as paying attention to your breath or being fully present in the moment.

💙 Explore the power of Skillful Questioning in your journey of self-discovery and purpose with this Daily Calm.

2. Reflect on the ikigai diagram

Take a look at the four elements of the ikigai diagram: what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Take time to free-write for 5 or more minutes on each of the four elements, letting yourself write out your uncensored thoughts and feelings. After, reflect on any discoveries you made.

💙 Let this meditation on Ikigai with Tamara Levitt help you reflect on your own discoveries of your purpose.

3. Identify your passions and strengths

Identify your passion by writing down what excites you, what you're in love with, and what your strengths are. Dive into your interests, hobbies, and the things that make you lose track of time when you're immersed in them.

Next, look for your vocation. Write out your unique skill sets, and the things that come easily to you. Recognizing your vocation means acknowledging your strengths and using them to contribute to your profession and mission.

💙 Learn the importance of Fighting for Your Passion in this 7-minute exercise with Jay Shetty.

4. Embrace meditation

Meditation can be a powerful tool on your path to discovering your ikigai. Through meditation, you can quiet the mind, reduce stress, and gain clarity on what truly matters to you. Establish a regular meditation routine to explore your inner thoughts and feelings. It can help in uncovering insights about your passions, skills, and the areas where you can contribute positively to the world.

💙 If you're new to meditation, try out the 7 Days of Calm to build this supportive daily habit.

5. Explore what the world needs

To unearth your mission, reflect on the issues that tug at your heartstrings and explore how you can make a contribution. Identify the needs of the world that matter to you. What are the problems or challenges you care about solving, and how can your passion and vocation support you in solving them?

💙 Explore how you can Share Your Skill with the world in this episode of the Daily Jay.

6. Align your actions

Start aligning your actions with your passions, strengths, and the needs you've identified. Set mindful resolutions and engage in activities that fit within these aspirations. Reflect on how you can align your skills and interests with a profession that pays the bills and brings you satisfaction and purpose.

💙 Discover how you can Uncover Your Purpose at Work to change your mindset and bring more meaning to your job, no matter what you do.

7. Experiment and observe

Don't hesitate to try new things. Experiment with different activities and observe what brings you joy and a sense of purpose. If this feels intimidating, start small. Try something new that's low stakes and then work your way up to more complicated, high stakes endeavors.

Keep learning and growing. Embrace new experiences and continue exploring your interests and skills.

💙 Check out our Creative Living Beyond Fear session with Elizabeth Gilbert to help you get excited about your creative pursuits.

8. Seek feedback

Talk to people you trust, and seek feedback on your skills and contributions. Others might offer valuable insights that can help guide you on your ikigai journey. If there's someone in your field whom you admire, you might consider talking with them about your journey to see if they'd be interested in mentoring you.

9. Practice patience and persistence

Finding your ikigai might take some time. Be patient and persistent in your pursuit - it's a journey of self-discovery, not a race to the finish line.

💙 Try this Patience meditation, led by Tamara Levitt, as a mindful introduction to waiting and persevering with more ease.

10. Engage in self-reflection

Set aside time for self-reflection. Think about your experiences, what you've learned, and how you feel about your current path. Try journaling to help reflect on your journey towards you ikigai, and where you still want to go.

💙 Reset your mind with Dreamy Reflections, a soothing 9-minute instrumental track to set the mood for your journaling session.

Ikigai FAQs

What does ikigai mean?

Ikigai is a Japanese term that blends two words: "iki" meaning "to live," and "gai" meaning "reason," which translates to "a reason to live." It's a concept that encourages people to discover what truly matters to them and to live a life filled with purpose and joy.

What are the 4 rules of ikigai?

The four rules of ikigai are encapsulated in the ikigai diagram, which is a visual tool to help you find your ikigai. The rules are about discovering:

By exploring and finding the intersection of these four elements, you're on the path to discovering your ikigai, a life filled with purpose and happiness.

How do I find my ikigai?

Finding your ikigai involves a journey of self-reflection and exploration. Begin by reflecting on the four quadrants of the ikigai diagram: what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Experiment with different activities, seek feedback, and align your actions with your insights. It's a personal journey that requires patience, but the steps toward discovering your ikigai can lead to a fulfilling and meaningful life.

Does ikigai really work?

Many people find the concept of ikigai a helpful framework for uncovering a sense of purpose and leading a fulfilling life. It encourages you to reflect on your passions, skills, and how you can contribute to the world. While everyone's experience with ikigai may be unique, it offers a structured way to explore personal fulfillment and happiness.

How do I practice ikigai?

Practicing ikigai involves a continual process of self-reflection, exploration, and alignment with your passions, skills, and what the world needs. Engage in activities that fit with your ikigai, seek feedback, and continue to reflect on your journey. It's about living intentionally, embracing opportunities for personal growth, and contributing positively to the world in a way that aligns with your inner self.

Calm your mind. Change your life.

Mental health is hard. Getting support doesn't have to be. The Calm app puts the tools to feel better in your back pocket, with personalized content to manage stress and anxiety, get better sleep, and feel more present in your life.

Do you know how to find your Ikigai? The Japanese art of combining your passion and talents could be the game changer that helps uncover your true purpose in life.

Discovering your purpose in life can often feel elusive, but it can help you to live a more meaningful life. Oftentimes, finding purpose is about locating the intersection of the skills you have and the things you love. That's exactly what ikigai is about.

Ikigai is a Japanese concept of discovering your purpose through exploring the intersection of what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. This age-old philosophy offers a structured approach to identifying your purpose and leading a meaningful life. Keep reading to find out what ikigai is, explore the ikigai diagram, and get actionable steps to help you find your ikigai.

What is ikigai? The meaning and origin of the Japanese concept

Ikigai, pronounced "ee-kee-guy," is a Japanese concept that unites the joy of life with a sense of purpose. The term is a combination of the Japanese words 'iki' (to live) and 'gai' (reason), which together signify "a reason to live." While there isn't a direct translation of ikigai in English, this concept encapsulates the idea of finding joy in life through purpose in a unique way.

Rooted deeply in Japan's culture and history, ikigai holds belief in the value of life and the potential for happiness when you're aligned with your purpose. This philosophy has guided many toward a meaningful life lived with intention.

The ikigai diagram explained

The heart of ikigai is the ikigai diagram - a visual tool that helps you explore the intersection of four essential elements:

Finding the overlap of these four elements may sound difficult, but it's a journey worth taking. By reflecting on each of these elements and exploring where they overlap, you're well on your way to uncovering your ikigai and living a life filled with joy, satisfaction, and a sense of purpose that can keep you motivated each day.

4 ways to determine your ikigai

It's important to understand the four elements of ikigai to help you uncover your life's purpose.

1. Unveil your passion

Passions are the activities that make time fly by and cause you to feel excited and alive. It's what you enjoy doing most, and, perhaps something you'd do even if you weren't getting paid for it.

2. Recognize your vocation

Your skills and strengths are those things that you naturally excel at that might not come as easily to others. Perhaps you're skilled in math, writing, or creating music. Identifying your vocation is another way of tapping into your special skills that deserve recognition.

3. Discover your mission

This element of ikigai helps you explore the needs of the world and where you can make a difference. Are there problems or challenges in your community or in the world you feel passionate about solving? Identify them. There's your mission.

4. Cultivate your profession

Your profession is where you look at how to make a living from your passion and mission. For example, if you're a talented pianist who believes the world would be a better place if more people played music, you could begin to teach piano lessons. Turning your passion and mission into your profession can take time to develop. Trust the process.

The benefits of finding your ikigai

Aligning with the core principles of ikigai is a continuous process of self-discovery and growth and can provide many benefits to you and the community around you.

Increased happiness: When you live in alignment with your ikigai, your activities fill you with joy and satisfaction, because you're living for your purpose. This alignment can elevate your mood and foster a positive outlook on life.

Reduced stress: Stress sometimes stems from disconnection or dissatisfaction with life. Discovering your ikigai and aligning with what you love, what you're good at, and what the world needs may help to lower that stress and promote balance and tranquility.

A sense of fulfillment: When you're doing what you love and contributing positively to the world, it can bring profound feelings of fulfillment. Ikigai can enrich your life and the lives of those around you.

Enhanced motivation: When you have a clear sense of your ikigai, you have a driving force that propels you forward. It's a source of motivation that can keep you going, even when things get tough.

Improved health: Studies have shown that a sense of purpose in life can positively impact your health. It may even help to boost your immune system, lower anxiety, and possibly help you live longer.

Personal growth: Discovering and living your ikigai is a journey of self-improvement. It's about exploring new facets of your interests, honing your skills, and expanding your horizons.

How to find your ikigai: 10 ways to discover your purpose

Discovering your ikigai is a personal journey filled with exploration, reflection, and alignment. Take time for reflection as you delve deeper into understanding your ikigai and how you can bring fulfillment into your daily life.

1. Practice mindfulness

Engage in mindfulness practices to foster a deeper connection with your inner self. Mindfulness can help create a space of awareness where you can reflect on your passions, desires, and the activities that bring you joy and satisfaction.

Being present and attentive to your thoughts and feelings can provide clarity and insights as you journey toward finding your ikigai. Begin with simple mindfulness exercises, such as paying attention to your breath or being fully present in the moment.

💙 Explore the power of Skillful Questioning in your journey of self-discovery and purpose with this Daily Calm.

2. Reflect on the ikigai diagram

Take a look at the four elements of the ikigai diagram: what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Take time to free-write for 5 or more minutes on each of the four elements, letting yourself write out your uncensored thoughts and feelings. After, reflect on any discoveries you made.

💙 Let this meditation on Ikigai with Tamara Levitt help you reflect on your own discoveries of your purpose.

3. Identify your passions and strengths

Identify your passion by writing down what excites you, what you're in love with, and what your strengths are. Dive into your interests, hobbies, and the things that make you lose track of time when you're immersed in them.

Next, look for your vocation. Write out your unique skill sets, and the things that come easily to you. Recognizing your vocation means acknowledging your strengths and using them to contribute to your profession and mission.

💙 Learn the importance of Fighting for Your Passion in this 7-minute exercise with Jay Shetty.

4. Embrace meditation

Meditation can be a powerful tool on your path to discovering your ikigai. Through meditation, you can quiet the mind, reduce stress, and gain clarity on what truly matters to you. Establish a regular meditation routine to explore your inner thoughts and feelings. It can help in uncovering insights about your passions, skills, and the areas where you can contribute positively to the world.

💙 If you're new to meditation, try out the 7 Days of Calm to build this supportive daily habit.

5. Explore what the world needs

To unearth your mission, reflect on the issues that tug at your heartstrings and explore how you can make a contribution. Identify the needs of the world that matter to you. What are the problems or challenges you care about solving, and how can your passion and vocation support you in solving them?

💙 Explore how you can Share Your Skill with the world in this episode of the Daily Jay.

6. Align your actions

Start aligning your actions with your passions, strengths, and the needs you've identified. Set mindful resolutions and engage in activities that fit within these aspirations. Reflect on how you can align your skills and interests with a profession that pays the bills and brings you satisfaction and purpose.

💙 Discover how you can Uncover Your Purpose at Work to change your mindset and bring more meaning to your job, no matter what you do.

7. Experiment and observe

Don't hesitate to try new things. Experiment with different activities and observe what brings you joy and a sense of purpose. If this feels intimidating, start small. Try something new that's low stakes and then work your way up to more complicated, high stakes endeavors.

Keep learning and growing. Embrace new experiences and continue exploring your interests and skills.

💙 Check out our Creative Living Beyond Fear session with Elizabeth Gilbert to help you get excited about your creative pursuits.

8. Seek feedback

Talk to people you trust, and seek feedback on your skills and contributions. Others might offer valuable insights that can help guide you on your ikigai journey. If there's someone in your field whom you admire, you might consider talking with them about your journey to see if they'd be interested in mentoring you.

9. Practice patience and persistence

Finding your ikigai might take some time. Be patient and persistent in your pursuit - it's a journey of self-discovery, not a race to the finish line.

💙 Try this Patience meditation, led by Tamara Levitt, as a mindful introduction to waiting and persevering with more ease.

10. Engage in self-reflection

Set aside time for self-reflection. Think about your experiences, what you've learned, and how you feel about your current path. Try journaling to help reflect on your journey towards you ikigai, and where you still want to go.

💙 Reset your mind with Dreamy Reflections, a soothing 9-minute instrumental track to set the mood for your journaling session.

Ikigai FAQs

What does ikigai mean?

Ikigai is a Japanese term that blends two words: "iki" meaning "to live," and "gai" meaning "reason," which translates to "a reason to live." It's a concept that encourages people to discover what truly matters to them and to live a life filled with purpose and joy.

What are the 4 rules of ikigai?

The four rules of ikigai are encapsulated in the ikigai diagram, which is a visual tool to help you find your ikigai. The rules are about discovering:

By exploring and finding the intersection of these four elements, you're on the path to discovering your ikigai, a life filled with purpose and happiness.

How do I find my ikigai?

Finding your ikigai involves a journey of self-reflection and exploration. Begin by reflecting on the four quadrants of the ikigai diagram: what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Experiment with different activities, seek feedback, and align your actions with your insights. It's a personal journey that requires patience, but the steps toward discovering your ikigai can lead to a fulfilling and meaningful life.

Does ikigai really work?

Many people find the concept of ikigai a helpful framework for uncovering a sense of purpose and leading a fulfilling life. It encourages you to reflect on your passions, skills, and how you can contribute to the world. While everyone's experience with ikigai may be unique, it offers a structured way to explore personal fulfillment and happiness.

How do I practice ikigai?

Practicing ikigai involves a continual process of self-reflection, exploration, and alignment with your passions, skills, and what the world needs. Engage in activities that fit with your ikigai, seek feedback, and continue to reflect on your journey. It's about living intentionally, embracing opportunities for personal growth, and contributing positively to the world in a way that aligns with your inner self.

Calm your mind. Change your life.

Mental health is hard. Getting support doesn't have to be. The Calm app puts the tools to feel better in your back pocket, with personalized content to manage stress and anxiety, get better sleep, and feel more present in your life.

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Ikigai: what it is and how to use ikigai to find your purpose - Calm Blog

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Do you know how to find your Ikigai? The Japanese art of combining your passion and talents could be the game changer that helps uncover your true purpose in life.

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The Mental Health in Youth Work project will allow youth workers and young people get in touch with wellbeing and the promotion of mental health. Over the years, the project will enable youth workers to better understand how they can view mental health as a positive resource in their own and young people's lives.

Raising awareness, normalising the concept of mental health, and promoting it as a positive resource

Development of mental health literacy and competences of youth workers

Enabling youth participation and peer-to-peer approach in promotion of mental health

Increasing the number of projects dealing with mental health topics in the European Youth Programmes.

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The project will initiate in spring 2022 by defining the European aims and objectives. In the coming years different the participating countries will organise activities which link to the chosen priorities and objectives.

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Resources For Professionals Working With Young People

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Resources, training courses, consultancy and service design for professionals working with young people in schools, youthwork or the mental health system

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Your body language may shape who you are

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(NOTE: Some of the findings presented in this talk have been referenced in an ongoing debate among social scientists about robustness and reproducibility. Read “Corrections & Updates” below for more details as well as Amy Cuddy’s response.) Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy argues that “power posing” -- standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident -- can boost feelings of confidence, and might have an impact on our chances for success.

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MID TERM COOPERATION BOARD 03.22_ MARTA_KASIA - Self care boosters 

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Before I taught scores of body scan meditations, I too had to learn it for the first time. And my first reaction was: no, thank you! This is what happened: The woman at the front of the room is saying that over the next eight weeks we would be "learning to reconnect to our bodies by doing a number of body scans." Huh? Reconnect with my own body? Nuts to that, lady! Not that it's any of your business, but my disconnected body and I like it that way. As far as I can tell, I mean, we haven't spoken in years.

Then she tells us to lay down, saying we might want to put a pillow under our knees and maybe even cover ourselves with the nursery school blankets she handed us. The lights are dimmed and my inner child begins snoring. But the rest of me feels like a feral cat trapped in a dark alley looking for any way out.

The suspiciously calm-voiced lady relentlessly offers us something she calls, "silence" (it burns, it burns!). We are asked to notice any sensations we might be able to experience. A sensation? What the heck is a "sensation"? She says sensations are things we might notice in the body, (not liking this noticing the body, business! Please stop saying this!). She mentions a menu of sensation possibilities we might notice, like tingling, tightness, heat or coolness, buzzing or pulsing or itching, or numbness-even nausea. What the heck? No wonder I avoid connecting with my body! Need I explain the concept of numbing out? The very idea of having to notice my body enraged me. And even worse, I had no clue if I was doing it right and that enraged me even more.

Our honey-tongued guide seemed to be ignoring my inner pleas for her to stop, "Look lady ... if I listened to my body, right now, I'd leap up and throttle you!"

Apparently I was supposed to notice this too. Argh!

Something was changing in my relationship to discomfort. I noticed that I could stay more present and tuned in, even if I didn't like what I was feeling.

During the first few "body scans" I mostly thought about lunch and how my butt compares to other butts anywhere on the planet. Every so often I would notice a sensation in my body. When I did, I immediately became alarmed or bored or my mind just wandered off to Taco Bell.

Only after being guided through many, many body scans did I seem to have a "Hold on, call coming through!" moment. Was that me experiencing itches, twitches, cramps, and screams and just watching as they softened and settled? Was I only imagining that I was increasingly able to be irritated without needing to find someone to blame...where's the fun in that? Something was changing in my relationship to discomfort. I noticed that I could stay more present and tuned in, even if I didn't like what I was feeling. Interesting.

That was a few years ago. Now, I notice that I am increasingly able to stay and examine sensations that show up in my body when I feel upset on its way. I can be with my stress-clenched butt, my indignant jaw, my quaking belly. By practicing the body scan, I am learning to stay softly present to the United Colors of Stress as it tries to hole up in my body. More and more, I can notice what I feel without having to hold on to it. I can let it go and return to the present moment over and over. Damn, I'm good.

The Benefits of the Body Scan Practice:

Enhances your ability to bring your full attention to real-time experiences happening in the present moment-helpful when emotions or thoughts feel wild.

Trains to explore and be with pleasant and unpleasant sensations, learning to notice what happens when we simply hang in there and feel what's going on in "body-land" without trying to fix or change anything.

Give it a try:

Body Scan Meditation for Beginners:

It is recommended you allow about 30 or 40 minutes to let yourself really investigate this practice. But if you don't have that much time, utilize whatever time you have. You might want to lay down, but you can also do it sitting up, especially if that makes it easier for you to stay awake.

Closing your eyes can be helpful to allow you to focus or, if you'd rather, you can always lower and half-close your eyes.

Bring awareness to the body breathing in and out, noticing touch and pressure where it makes contact with the seat or floor. Throughout this practice, allow as much time as you need or want to experience and investigate each area of the body.

When you're ready (no rush), intentionally breathe in, and move your attention to whatever part of the body you want to investigate. You might choose to do a systematic body scan beginning at the head or feet. Or, you might choose to explore sensations randomly. Enjoy!

Sensations might include buzzing, or tingling, pressure, tightness or temperature, or anything else you notice. What if you don't notice any strong sensations or things feel neutral? You can simply notice that, too. There are no right answers. Just tune in to what's present, as best you can, without judgement. You'll notice judgement puts a different spin on things.

The main point is being curious and open to what you are noticing, investigating the sensations as fully as possible, and then intentionally releasing the focus of attention before shifting to the next area to explore.

At some point, you'll notice Elvis and your attention have left the building. Yup. Great noticing! You'll quickly discover that you can't stop your attention from wandering. Sorry 'bout that. But over time you can train it to stay for longer periods: train it, not force it, there's a difference.

Each time your attention wanders, simply notice that this is happening, then gently and kindly (it's really important that you don't try to force anything) direct your attention back to exploring sensations in the body. Rinse and repeat until you've finished your entire body exploration.

And hey! Neuroscience tells us that noticing drifting attention, and gently returning our focus to wherever we've placed it, over and over, is how we create new pathways in the brain.

At the end of this exploration of bodily sensations, spend a few moments to expand your attention to feeling your entire body breathing freely.

Open your eyes if they have been closed. Move mindfully into this moment.

Even if we hurt-maybe especially if we hurt, says Elaine Smookler-it helps to laugh. Read More

This 5-minute mindfulness practice cultivates gratitude for life's small delights as you move through the senses. Read More

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Beginner's Body Scan Meditation - Mindful

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Before I taught scores of body scan meditations, I too had to learn it for the first time. And my first reaction was: no, thank you! This is what happened: The woman at the front of the room is saying that over the next eight weeks we would be "learning to reconnect to our bodies by doing a number of body scans."

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DTmGtznab4

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Mindfulness 360 - Center For Mindfulness

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Whether it's your individual journey at focus or sharing the experience with others - taking action will lead you towards a happier life.

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The mission of Action for Happiness is to promote a happier world, through a culture that prioritises happiness and kindness

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21 Mindfulness Exercises & Activities For Adults (+ PDF)

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Mindfulness exercises for adults and practitioners to learn more about it.

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Remember that a change in behaviour needs time!

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Remember that a change in behaviour needs time!

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Sometimes it is worth to ask for support - don't be afraid / ashamed of it 

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Sometimes it is worth to ask for support - don't be afraid / ashamed of it 

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Make PRIORITIES. Decide about your time

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3uK039WdaM

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עמותת נטל נפגעי טראומה על רקע לאומי

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The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique

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Welcome to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique - the most comprehensive source for information about the Alexander Technique on the web.

The Alexander Technique is a way to feel better and move in a more relaxed and comfortable way.

An Alexander Technique teacher shows you how to move with less stress on your body.

The Alexander Technique is for you if you are ready to feel more comfortable in your daily activities.

The Alexander Technique can also help you if:

You suffer from repetitive strain injury or carpal tunnel syndrome.

You have a backache or stiff neck and shoulders.

You become uncomfortable when sitting at your computer for long periods of time.

You are a singer, musician, actor, dancer or athlete and feel you are not performing at your full potential.

Below you'll find 4 introductory videos and 2 introductory podcasts about the Alexander Technique:

More videos at AlexanderVideo.com
Listen to or download a very short Description of the Alexander Technique >> Listen to or download a longer Description of the Alexander Technique >> Listen to or download many more podcasts about the Alexander Technique >>

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The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique

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Comprehensive guide to Alexander Technique resources wordwide.

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Fix some time weekly for your passions/ hobbies

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Fix some time weekly for your passions/ hobbies

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Articles on brain basics, neuroscience and contemplative practice, well being, relationships, methods, and more.

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Recognising, naming and understanding emotionsi

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Recognising, naming and understanding emotionsi

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The aim of "The colours of feelings and needs" is to support people in acquiring and developing the ability to identify, express, interpret and reflect upon their own feelings and needs.

We equip practitioners: as educators, trainers and youth workers - with an innovative tool in the form of illustrated cards of feelings and needs.

By offering the set of cards which consists of 4 different painting styles we offer the tool which may reach a much wider public, each painting style is a different language of communication.
Everyone can find their own card.

The first part of the project - research, consisted of collecting visual expressions of feelings coming from different cultural backgrounds and minority groups of young people. We have analysed literature, social media and made workshops.

Based on the research outcomes 5 different artists with different art styles created a set of 160 illustrations representing 40 feelings in 4 different painting styles. And 96 illustrations of needs in digital design.

Cards were tested during several workshops in Poland and Germany.

The project was co-financed by Erasmus+ Program and hosted by ARTE EGO Foundation in Poland and GrenzKultur / Cabuwazi in Germany.

My paintings are abstract, however, are based on reality.
I give great importance to the form and aesthetics of my work.
I paint according to classic definitions of beauty where I am looking for visual balance.

The peace will not be boring, that dynamism will not become Chaos, the rhythm will not change into monotony.

These paintings are just surfaces covered with colourful blots with different textures. The surface is somewhere divided more, somewhere less, something emerges from the darkness, something dies in the light.

My name is Paweł Hulpowski Szulz, and I am the artist living currently in Lublin, Poland.

Through the social campaign, I have asked 40 different people to make selfies expressing one of 40 feelings.

Selfie captures face as a reflection in a mirror, this makes the portrait of a feeling more a feeling than a person. Out of these selfies, I painted 40 oil portraits on wood.

Behind those portraits are real feelings of real people. Each of them is a different journey. I was surprised by the process of painting.

My name is Dagna Gmitrowicz, and I am the artist fascinated by the nature and beauty of people, currently living in Berlin. www.dagna.space

Those 40 big format acrylic paintings on paper are the metaphors of feelings. Nature in a context of civilization.

In my work animals are the actors representing feelings. Additionally, there is an allegory of the poker deck, we can´t always control the intensity or timing of our feelings but we can decide how to play them...
I have chosen 8 specials playing card: 4 AceFeelings and 4 JokerFeelings.

I used mix-media, the ideal way to explain Feelings, where Feeling is not a solid piece. I can see each of them like a big mosaic integrated from many small pieces. I have used a highly glossy pepper on wich inks, acryls, oil pastel and all pieces of old paper are exposed to more immediate ageing and deterioration, thereby showing the vulnerable and delicate face of feelings.

I'm Hector, I come from Gijón, Asturias (North-West Spain).

https://hectorgrafiko.wixsite.com/caricaturist/

The biggest discovery turned out to be a whole range of feelings - their weight, gradation, warmth and cold, brightness and darkness.
The feelings that are an invisible part of our lives. They are so obvious that we completely stopped seeing them, hearing, feeling.

Will my interpretation correspond with someone on the other side of the table?
Senses and feelings are intertwined. The perception of the world by a man with feelings is like a meadow overgrown with dozens or hundreds of species of grass essay and flowers. Sensitive to the gentlest breeze, hot sun, the first drops of rain carrying a saving relief. Or a violent summer storm, and a downpour that all rife into a dry thread carrying a cleansing. And in winter, feelings hide under a thick layer of snow or deep underground. They flow with the current of the river, some fight and force themselves to flow against it.

My name is Piotr Borzęcki, I am the painter and pottery artist, currently living in small-town Srtyków in Poland.

For the representation of these 96 needs, made with a graphic tablet, I had to study the importance of colours and shapes. It is like a game of colours and shapes, lights and shadows, fullness and emptiness.

The representations are mostly figurative, there is a lot of inspiration of human being, there is a reference to nature, plants, flowers and branches.

I'm Ester Vescovi, an Italian artist residing in Bergamo (Italy).

https://www.instagram.com/vescoviester/

The goals of this project were accomplished in several stages of research. First, we delineated the 40 most common/known feelings. We wanted a universal view of the most familiar feelings, which is why we distributed a questionnaire online to anyone willing to participate, though we prioritized replies from youth. We received over 200 responses from participants from a wide range of countries.

Next, we organized a set of workshops for young people from Poland and Germany who belong to different social and cultural backgrounds. The workshops were run by our trainers who created a safe and supportive environment to help participants connect with their feelings and express them visually.
To ensure our research results had a more international and universal aspect, we organized an open social media call for anyone who wanted to join us in visually expressing their feelings and publishing it online on our social media pages. Simultaneously, we did a detailed literature analysis of the most current resources on the topic of the project. We consulted projects and magazines, as well as online resources where people published their own representations of targeted feelings and those of famous artists, which were all free to use by the public.
Finally, the final results of our research, i.e. the images we collected from the workshops, social media call and literature review, were used by the artists to create a set of 160 cards visually depicting the 40 most common emotions called "The Colors of Feelings and Needs".

How do you feel?"
"How would you express it with colours?"
Choose a pencil, grab a pastel, dip the pinsel.
Draw your inner world, follow the strokes of your emotions.
With this invitation, I approached people all around Europe collecting visual expressions of feelings for the research phase of this project.
I talked and painted with people from various backgrounds, in different contexts, from pop-up stations in public spaces to smoky empty bars, during an ecological demonstration or individual sessions on Skype.
The result is a huge collection of pictures that shows the diversity of our emotional vocabularies as well as the common threads of our visual imagination.
My name is Lorena Terzi, I am a youth worker based in Berlin, where I mix circus, art and storytelling to foster personal development and community building.

My name is Magdalena Malinowska. I am a CNVC Certified Trainer sharing Nonviolent Communication through trainings for non-governmental organisations, companies and individuals interested in creating peaceful relations (personal and professional). I live in Sweden and Poland. www.empathiceurope.com

My name is Marta Brzezińska-Hubert and I'm a trainer and a sociologist linking research with practice, based in Warsaw. I am passionate for intercultural education, personal growth and innovative learning approaches. As I believe that the ability to recognise and express own feelings and needs is a key for empowerment and successful communication, I was happy to be part of this project and to invite young people to connect with their emotions and visualise them.

Tatjana Glogovac is a strong believer in the power of humanistic education and approaching every person she works with as a special and unique human being. She has a BA and MA in English Language and Literature Teaching and another MA in Humanistic Sciences in Philology (Erasmus Mundus scholarship), where she wrote her thesis about cognitive biases in education.

She has been an English teacher for over 8 years and a writer for over 6, writing mainly educational articles about personal and professional self-development. https://tatjanaglogovac.com/

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We share with you 256 cards illustrating feelings and needs referring to Marshal Rosenberg list. Cards are painted in 5 different styles: abstract, portraits, fantasy, illustration and digital art. Project co-financed by Erasmus + Youth managed by Arte Ego Foundation & Grenz Kultur CABUWAZI.

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Separating "physical, material" work from free time

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Separating "physical, material" work from free time

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Change of routine: mind of a beginner / coping with change

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Change of routine: mind of a beginner / coping with change

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Examples:
- move your clock/trash can/products in the kitchen or bathroom to another place
- choose a different itinerary to get to work or shop
- cook something new
- listen to different music or in a different way
- see someone in a different light