Mental health: Challenge yourself!

Content

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
It’s important to remember that a person’s mental health can change over time, depending on many factors. When the demands placed on a person exceed their resources and coping abilities, their mental health could be impacted.
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, poor mental health and mental illness are not the same. A person can experience poor mental health and not be diagnosed with a mental illness. Likewise, a person diagnosed with a mental illness can experience periods of physical, mental, and social well-being. (source)﻿
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In this playlist, we will take a closer look to the topic of mental health. It will not help you with a daignose for mental illness or replace a therapy. The main focus of this content is based on mental well-being and how to take care of yourself. Check out all four activities to get more information, challenge yourself and discuss about it with others! 
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This way you can participate in the playlist and the individual activities: 
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Log in (or create a free account if you are using the platform for the first time).
Click on "participate" in the playlist. The playlist is now saved in your account and you can view your progress. 
Look at the individual activities in the playlist. Click on participate to start the activity. Read through the activity and engage with the tasks and learning experiences. You will find all the websites and documents mentioned under 'materials' in the activity.
For each activity you complete, you will receive a digital badge: upload a proof, e.g. a photo or a screenshot, or write your answer to a question in the text field.
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Activities to complete

Complete the following activities, earn badges and you will see your playlist progress updated

Mental health: Learn more

Mandatory

15 minutes

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Content

This activity is the first one of the whole "Mental health: Challenge yourself" playlist and is meant as an inroduction into the topic. As mental health is a wide-ranging topic, this activity can only offer some selected information about it but tries to offer different sources and insights to prepare you for the following challenges! You can choose yourself which subtopics and sources you're interested in. Enjoy them and don't fotget to get your badge afterwards! 
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Mental health is a positive concept related to the social and emotional wellbeing of individuals and communities.
Having good mental health, or being mentally healthy, is more than just the absence of illness, rather it’s a state of overall wellbeing.
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The concept is influenced by culture, but it generally relates to:
Enjoyment of life
Having the ability to cope with and ‘bounce back’ from stress and sadness
Being able to set and fulfil goals
Having the capability to build and maintain relationships with others.
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Influences on mental health and wellbeing
Mental health is influenced by several biological, psychological, social and environmental factors which interact in complex ways. These include:
Structural factors such as safe living environments, employment, education, freedom from discrimination and violence, and access to economic resources
Community factors such as a positive sense of belonging, community connectedness, activities to highlight and embrace diversity, social support, and participation in society
Individual factors such as the ability to manage thoughts and cope with stressors and having communication and social skills to support connection with others. (source)﻿https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm﻿
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Looking at these factors, which ones have the most impact on your mental health (in a positive or negative way)?
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The OECD Better Life Index "2020 How's Life?" report shows the latest data on well-being from an updated set of over 80 indicators for OECD countries and 4 partner countries. It looks at current well-being outcomes, inequalities, and resources for future well-being. (source)﻿
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To create your Better Life Index:
- Follow this link﻿
- Rate the topics according to their importance to you and check out in which coutries they are rated as high or low
- Use "share your index" to create your very own! 
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Get activity badge

Mental health: Learn more Get this badge

The owner of this badge 
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learnt more about the importance of mental health and mental well being
learned which factors have an influence on mental health
checked out the OECD Better Life Index
created their own Better Life Index 
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This badge is part of the "Mental health: Challenge yourself" playlist which belongs to the "Challenge accepted - Europe" project from IJAB and GOEUROPE!/EJBM. This badge is confirmed by international youth workers.https://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/#/40052111111﻿

You have to finish all tasks to get the badge

Tasks

Task no.1

Evidence verified by: one activity organiser

Looking at the stuctural, community and individual factors on mental health: which of them have the most impact on you and your mental well being at the moment? Why?
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Leave your answer in the text field.

Task no.2

Evidence verified by: one activity organiser

Did you submit your Better Life Index? Which topics did you rank high and low? Why did you choose this order?
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Choose at least one of the topics and explain the ranking you did in the text field. 

Mental health: are you challenged?

Mandatory

20 minutes

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Mental health: Talk to somebody!

Mandatory

1 hour

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Mental health: Discussion

Mandatory

Unknown duration

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Activities: 4

Started: 43

Completed playlist: 0

Time to complete: 1 hour 35 minutes

Organisers

Challenge accepted - Europe

Badgecraft hosts this platform and develops it together with leading educational organisations. The European Union's programme Erasmus+ granted co-funding for building the first version of this platform. Contact support@badgecraft.eu.