Working Women's Struggle with Stress - From Empowering Women With Mindfulness and Cooperation

The Erasmus+ Mobility of Youth Workers project “Working Women's Struggle with Stress” (Project No. 2023-2-TR01-KA153-YOU-000167767) was implemented in Eskişehir, Türkiye, from 15–21 October 2024.

Participants enhanced both their physical and mental well-being through guided yoga practices and concentration exercises designed to improve mindfulness and emotional balance. By learning postures such as Half Waist Wheel Pose, Diamond Pose, and Moon Pose, they developed greater body awareness, flexibility, and relaxation techniques. Additional focus exercises encouraged participants to strengthen their attention, reduce mental distractions, and practice mindfulness through breathing, visualization, and group discussions. These practical experiences demonstrated effective strategies that can easily be integrated into everyday professional life to improve concentration, reduce stress, and support healthier emotional responses.

Learning continued beyond the training venue through a city exploration and public dissemination activities that connected participants with the local community. During the city tour, participants discovered Eskişehir’s cultural and historical heritage while engaging in meaningful intercultural dialogue with local residents. They later transformed the city square into an interactive learning environment by creating collaborative yoga sculptures and speaking with passers-by about Erasmus+, workplace mobbing, emotional well-being, and the role of yoga in stress management. These outreach activities strengthened participants' communication, teamwork, advocacy, and public engagement skills while increasing awareness of the project's objectives.

Intercultural learning remained at the heart of the programme through the Hungarian Cultural Evening, coordinated by the Hungarian team. Participants introduced Hungary's traditions, mythology, cuisine, folk dances, and traditional clothing while encouraging dialogue and cultural exchange among all partner countries. Preparing and delivering these presentations strengthened participants' research, presentation, teamwork, and intercultural communication skills, while promoting Erasmus+ values of inclusion, solidarity, mutual respect, and appreciation of Europe's rich cultural diversity.

The learning process concluded with an interactive evaluation session facilitated by the Latvian partner using creative visual assessment methods, emojis, body language, and collaborative group discussions. Participants reflected on their personal development, exchanged constructive feedback, and evaluated both the learning methods and the overall mobility experience. Through its participation in this project, Shaft Women's Right Association reinforced its commitment to promoting women's well-being, supporting mental health, and sharing innovative non-formal education practices that empower youth workers to build more resilient, inclusive, and supportive communities across Europe.