changes in sleep patterns (sleeping more or less than usual)
unexplained body aches and pains
persistent fatigue or low energy
difficulties with concentration or memory
reduced work or school performance
social withdrawal
digestive changes
frequent headaches
muscle tension
unexplained changes in weight or appetite
sudden anxiety episodes that aren’t typical for youTakeaway
Chronic physical or psychological stress can have lasting impacts on your health and well-being. Recovery is possible, but the causes of stress, your individual coping skills, and available support all matter.
Prevention and recovery from chronic stress involve many of the same strategies. Focusing on healthy lifestyle modifications, engaging in relaxation habits, and encouraging positive mindset development, for example, are multi-purpose initiatives.
Did you know that sports can transform lives for People with Disabilities? Here’s how
Sports and outdoor activities are more than just fun—they’re life-changing. For people with disabilities, these activities can unlock physical, emotional, and social benefits, breaking down barriers and creating spaces of inclusion. But the real question is: how do we make these opportunities accessible for everyone? The answer lies in thoughtful adaptations and a willingness to innovate. Aren’t you curious? Let’s dive into how each one of us can make a difference.
Have you thought about understanding their unique needs?
Small changes can make sports and outdoor activities accessible to people with different abilities. These can include the following:
A person with a physical disability might need adaptive equipment like modified bicycles or basketball hoops;
For someone with a cognitive disability, simplified instructions and step-by-step demonstrations can be game-changers;
A person with a sensory disability could thrive with visual aids or tactile markers.
The goal isn’t to focus on limitations but to highlight possibilities. Imagine how empowering it is for someone to finally participate in an activity they once thought impossible!
Can “Movement” activities be a bridge?
Movement isn’t just physical—it’s a way to connect. Activities like Accessible Dance or Contact Improvisation do more than get participants moving:
They teach teamwork and trust.
They break down social barriers.
They create moments of joy.
For instance, lets picture this: two people, one initiating a movement and the other responding, in a silent, flowing rhythm. It’s not just a dance—it’s a lesson in communication, patience, and collaboration.
How about letting people with disabilities lead the creation of activities?
Here’s a thought: Who knows better about creating inclusive activities than the people who need them most? The principle “Nothing about us without us” should guide every program. By involving people with disabilities in planning and leading activities, we gain firsthand insights and ensure that programs meet their real needs—not just what we think they need.
How to do activities that are inclusive? How about inclusive spaces?
Creating inclusive activities and setting inclusive spaces is simpler than you might think. Have you considered:
Checking your venue for accessibility? Ramps, clear signage, and adaptive equipment go a long way.
Training facilitators to be more inclusive? A little knowledge about disabilities can transform how activities are conducted.
Using tools like easy-to-read materials or visual aids? These can make all the difference for someone struggling with complex instructions.
And the most surprising part? These small changes benefit everyone, not just people with disabilities.
Why should you care?
Here’s the thing: Inclusive sports and outdoor activities do more than help people with disabilities. They create communities where everyone feels valued. They teach us empathy, resilience, and the power of teamwork. They make us better, kinder, and more connected.
So, let me ask you: What can you do today to make your sports fields, parks, or community centres more inclusive?
A sturdy chair with armrests and athletic shoes with non-skid soles are all you need for these simple strength building exercises.
Seated bridge
Sit slightly forward in a chair with your hands on the armrests. Your feet should be flat on the floor and slightly apart, and your upper body should be upright (don’t lean forward). Using your arms for balance only, slowly raise your buttocks off the chair until nearly standing with your knees bent. Pause. Slowly sit back down. Aim for 8–12 repetitions. Rest and repeat the set.
Triceps dip
Put a chair with armrests up against a wall. Sit in the chair and put your feet together flat on the floor. Lean forward a bit while keeping your shoulders and back straight. Bend your elbows and place your hands on the armrests of the chair, so they are in line with your torso. Pressing downward on your hands, try to lift yourself up a few inches by straightening out your arms. Raise your upper body and thighs, but keep your feet in contact with the floor. Pause. Slowly release until you’re sitting back down again. Aim for 8–12 repetitions. Rest and repeat the set.
Standing calf raise
Stand with your feet flat on the floor. Hold onto the back of your chair for balance. Raise yourself up on tiptoe, as high as possible. Hold briefly, then lower yourself. Aim for 8–12 repetitions. Rest and repeat the set.
“The activities with practical part were more interesting and dynamic, both for LTC participants and our beneficiaries, who were also taking part in all of our training. We might consider adding more dynamic activities to all the workshops, possibly at the expense of the “theoretical part” (working in pairs, discussions). We agree that reflection is absolutely neccessary but practical work, “games”, activities add to the relaxed atmosphere where we learn best”.
New activities tested:
Disability experimentation activity – Try to do math exercises with loud background noise
In order to understand some of the difficulties faced by people with intellectual disabilities, participants were asked to solve some math problems (simple operations of addition, subtraction, division and multiplication) but, at the beginning of the activity, very loud and disturbing music was played. The activity lasted 5 minutes, after which a brief debriefing was held with the participants asking them what it was like to perform the operations with the background noise and to reflect on how this experience could help them understand some of the difficulties encountered by people with cognitive disabilities.
In the first part of this activity, there is a brief theoretical presentation on the definition of disability and the different types of disabilities, based on the following theoretical inputs:
In case of mental disabilities thinking is concrete, anchored to perceptual data and images rather than concepts: people with cognitive disabilities have some difficulty in abstraction.
For Vygotskji, the object of analysis and intervention is not the deficit but what the individual does to overcome it. Every deficit creates stimuli for compensation.
Vygotskji’s theory is based on the assumption that the deficit is a social product and that it must be dealt with in the social sphere, by utilising the subject’s energies aimed at overcompensation.
In the case of repeated failures, the disabled person learns a feeling of powerlessness.
In the second part, a practical activity takes place in groups: each group has 30-40 minutes to prepare a presentation and explain what they have just learnt to a young person with mental disability. To do this, participants can be creative and use different presentation tools: either a presentation in Canva, or posters, or a play…
Background resources:
Bøttcher, L., & Dammeyer, J. (2012). Disability as a dialectical concept: building on Vygotsky’s defectology. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 27(4), 433–446. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2012.711958
Accessible dance and movement
Body warm-up (10 minutes): The group is in a circle and, in turn, each participant proposes a warm-up/stretching movement and the others copy the movement. The same movement is repeated for a few seconds until another participant proposes a new movement and the others follow, and so on.
Contact improvisation (30 minutes): Ask participants to form pairs (preferably without knowing each other). In each pair, there are two roles: one person is active and the other passive.
In the first activity, the active person touches a part of the other person’s body with a finger: the passive person starts to move that part of the body and makes it clear when the movement is finished. This activity is repeated 3 times, touching 3 different body parts. Then the roles of the pair are reversed.
In the second activity, the active person touches part of the other person’s body with a part of their body: the passive person starts to move that part of the body and makes it clear when my movement is finished. This activity is repeated 3 times, touching 3 different body parts. Then the roles of the couple are reversed.
In the third part, there are no longer two distinct roles of active and passive, but the couple continues to make movements that follow the logic of ‘impulse and response’, but this time without ever losing contact. Gradually, pairs find themselves performing short contact improvisation choreographies.
At the end of the third activity, the participants return to the plenary and discuss the activity:
How did it feel?
How was it to exercise active and passive roles in the movement?
What was it like to get in close contact with another person?
Invite participants to reflect on the fact that they have just experienced what it is like to be dependent on the input of another person in order to move.
Background resources:
Example of contact improvisation to inspire participants:
The visit to the Day Center for People with Disabilities (GR)
First Aid training (GR)
“Image Theater” workshop (GR)
“Participants learned to use their bodies to create representations of reality and ideal scenarios, addressing internalized tensions and expanding their understanding from individual experiences to collective contexts. They recognized that social, political, and economic frameworks often play a crucial role in these dynamics”.
Adapted chess (GR)
Tandem cycling for two riders (GR)
involve people with disabilities
Participants highlighted the benefits of involving beneficiaries. They were not bothered by the fact that the training was adapted to the varying abilities of the participants. On the contrary, they highlighted the advantages that this approach brings. Specifically, those participants who did not yet have experience working with young people with various disabilities gained insight into how to adapt organization, language, and approach.
We strongly recommend that trainers conducting the workshops also include young people with disabilities in the sessions. Although this requires adapting the workshops accordingly, young people with personal experience of disabilities can make a significant contribution to the content.
We believe that the most valuable information for training youth workers can be obtained directly from young people with disabilities, that is, from first-hand experience. We can discuss what they need, desire, and the barriers to their equal inclusion in society. However, it is the beneficiaries who best understand their own wishes, needs, and expectations. Therefore, we suggest, if possible, adhering to the principle of “nothing about people with disabilities without people with disabilities.”
Our suggestion would also be to add a workshop on communication in easy language – how to adress young people with disabilities or how to provide information in easy language/reading.
INVOLVE SPORT TRAINERS
Even though, each session could have been implemented with the two groups of participants (youth workers and sport trainers) separately to extract more from each participant for every session, we still believe that this kind of approach (having both groups of participants – youth workers and sport trainers – together) brought us longer-term benefits in contributing to building inclusivity in our local community.
If there are only youth workers as participants on a similar training course, then we advise the organisers to ensure some activities being implemented in cooperation with the local sport organisations, for the better impact in the local community.
Energizers
Participants choose to be an animal and, in turn, mimic it. After miming, and always without speaking, participants arrange themselves in a line, from the smallest to the largest animal, trying to communicate with each other only with gestures and only by miming their animal to make the others understand where to stand in the line.
Bang: Bang is a group game, played in a circle, where participants must react quickly or face elimination. One person stands in the middle of the circle as “the sheriff”, pointing at other players who must quickly crouch while those on either side of them quickly “draw”. A good activity to generate laughter in a group. Source: https://www.sessionlab.com/methods/bang
Evaluation activities
You can find below some evaluation activities, taken from the Salto-Youth T-Kit N°10 “Educational Evaluation in Youth Work” (available here):
The Three Word Review: A simple method at the end of the day, for the whole group, is the “Three word review” where participants are asked to write down for themselves three words that describe their feelings about the day. Then participants are invited to call out their words which are noted down on a flip-chart. After that, a discussion about the meaning and relevance of the words can be initiated. This commonly leads to a lively discussion. The “Three word review” involves all the participants from the start which makes it often easier for those who are usually not the first to speak, to contribute to the discussion.
Puppets in a Tree: This method can be used for the end of day review as well as for a final review in smaller or bigger groups. The advantage of this method is that you can easily adapt it to different situations or needs. All members of the group are invited to express their current feelings and / or their satisfaction with the programme or on other aspects such as their learning, the group dynamic and so on. To do this participants are asked to choose one of the figures (or puppets) on the picture that they consider most representative of their present mood or state of mind in relation to the aspect being evaluated. When everybody has chosen is their puppet, participants explain to each other the reasons of their choice.
The River: The river is a very versatile evaluation method. It can be used on the last day of the programme, for mid-term evaluation and for daily evaluation. It offers participants the possibility to express, in a creative way, how they see their development during the programme. Participants are divided into small groups (5 to 7 participants). Each group is provided with the picture of a River drawn on a large piece of paper. The beginning and the end of the river should be marked on the paper. Each group receives paper (different colours), scissors, glue, pencils and markers. Participants are asked to work individually on giving creative expression, using the material provided, to their personal development during the programme and to place the results of their creative efforts onto whichever part of the river they consider appropriate. When everybody has finished participants are asked to explain their creations.
Participants place one mark or sticker in each segment of a printed target / dartboard according to their rating of that activity or outcome, the best being closest to the bullseye, the worst being furthest away.
Visual approaches are often more fun for participants than standard questionnaires, and can quickly allow you to see participants’ reactions to your activity.
When evaluating a training course some of the aspects that can be considered are:
Organization
Methodology
Cohesion of the group
Interest in the addressed topics
Skills acquired
Replicability in the respective realities
APPLY THE TRAINING TOOLS IN YOUR DAILY WORK
“Often during the course, the trainers explained to the participants how the activities they were carrying out (e.g. the activities Expectations, fears and contributions, the final evaluation, the energizers) could possibly be adapted and multiplied with persons with disabilities or with the groups they usually work with, i.e. explaining that these are not necessarily activities reserved exclusively for training courses.”
The biggest killer in cases of drowning is a lack of oxygen in the body,
Step 1. Do not put yourself at risk to save the person from drowning, or you risk drowning yourself.
Step 2. Once the person has been safely rescued from the water or liquid, check if they are breathing.
Lay the person on his/her back and tilt his/her chin and head backwards to help clear their airway. This could be enough to get he/herb to start breathing
Check if the person is breathing by leaning over him and placing your cheek near his mouth
Look along his chest as you do this to see if his chest is rising and falling,
Feel for breath on your cheek
Listen for breathing sounds.
Step 3. Tell someone to call ambulance.
If you are on your own, call emergency ambulance after you’ve spent one minute giving them rescue breaths and chest compressions.
Step 4. Give five rescue breaths
Pinch his nose and keep his head tilted back as you breathe into their mouth from yours, making as good a seal as you can with your mouth over him. (Each breath you give him should last 1 second, and make sure that you take a good deep breath yourself in between each one.
These breaths will get valuable oxygen into their lungs, which is particularly important in a drowned casualty.
After you’ve done 5 rescue breaths try…
Step 5. Give 30 chest compressions by pushing firmly in the middle of their chest up and down.
Using both hands together, one on top of the other, push down right in the center of his chest firmly, with your arms straight
Push down 5-6cm each time, twice a second (if it helps, try to do it to the rhythm of the song
Do this for 1 minute (120 compressions) regular rate of 2 pushes per second.
Do 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths over and over again until he starts breathing normally or help arrives (if there’s more than one of you then take it in turns).
Step 6. If the person starts to show signs of responsiveness – they open his eyes, starts breathing normally, make noise or cough – stop compressions and start treating him for hypothermia.
Step 7. When someone has been drowning, their lungs may be full of the liquid they were in.
In this situation, giving rescue breaths is especially important to provide them with oxygen. In this situation, he may become responsive again once the liquid is removed from his lungs.
How to Help a Choking Child or Adult (Everyone Must Know!)
How to save a choking child
Epilepsy the facts
Epilepsy is a chronic noncommunicable disease of the brain that affects people of all ages.
Around 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally.
Nearly 80% of people with epilepsy live in low- and middle-income countries.
It is estimated that up to 70% of people living with epilepsy could live seizure-free if properly diagnosed and treated.
The risk of premature death in people with epilepsy is up to three times higher than for the general population.
Three quarters of people with epilepsy living in low-income countries do not get the treatment they need.
In many parts of the world, people with epilepsy and their families suffer from stigma and discrimination.
First aid step by step for epilepsy
Stay calm and remain with the person
Time the seizure if you can (if someone is nearby ask them to assist)
If they have food, fluid or vomit in their mouth roll them on to their side immediately
Protect them from injury by moving any hard objects away from the area
Protect them by placing something soft under their head and loosen any tight clothing
Gently roll the person onto their side as soon as possible and tilt their chin upwards to assist with breathing and to protect their airway
Stay with the person until the seizure ends naturally, and calmly talk to the person until they regain consciousness (usually a few minutes)
Reassure the person and let them know you will stay with them until they recover or until a paramedic arrives if an ambulance has been called
Keep onlookers away, as waking up to a crowd can be embarrassing or confusing for the person.
DO NOT:
Restrain the person’s movements, or move them, during the seizure (unless they are in danger)
Put anything in the person’s mouth
Give the person water, food or pills unless they are fully alert.
CALL AN AMBULANCE (000) IF:
The seizure lasts more than 5 minutes or a second seizure quickly follows
The person remains non-responsive for more than 5 minutes after the seizure stops
The person is injured or has swallowed water
The person is pregnant
You think this is the person’s first seizure, or aren’t sure
The person asks for medical assistance
You feel uncomfortable dealing with the situation.
Blood loss often gets the most attention because if the amount of bleeding is overestimated and draws attention to wounds when more serious injuries should be dealt with first bleeding,
Use personal protective equipment prior to caring for an injured and bleeding person
Perform a quick overview of the person to make sure something more serious is not being overlooked.
Use a dressing and your gloved hand to apply firm and direct pressure to the injured area.
Continue to hold the pressure until the bleeding stops (If there are multiple wounds, apply pressure dressings to the worst injuries first, and then to the lesser bleeding injuries. The person may temporarily be able to assist by holding pressure on some areas.
Small wounds (scrapes) can heal more rapidly by using an antibiotic salve.
Ask the person if they have any allergies before applying the antibiotic salve. If they do have allergies, do not apply the salve just wash minor scrapes and abrasions with soap and water before bandaging.
When direct pressure does not control bleeding, a tourniquet may be required (a blood pressure cuff, belt, or premade versions. Commercially prepared tourniquets are more effective than improvised ones, if none is available, one can be made quickly using a piece of cloth and stick-like object. The application of a tourniquet is painful but may be necessary to prevent life-threatening blood loss. Tourniquet use is difficult and can be dangerous if done incorrectly. Direct pressure should be applied first.
How to apply a tourniquet
Put on personal protective gear.
Apply tourniquet approximately two inches above wound.
Tighten until the bleeding stops.
Record the time the tourniquet was applied.
Call emergency services
Stay with the person and do not release tourniquet until advanced help assumes care.
Only a medical professional should remove a tourniquet.
Penetrating injuries caused by a knife or gunshot may produce devastating internal bleeding with very little external blood loss.
Immediately call emergency services whenever these injuries are suspected.
Help the person lie down and remain still.
Check for signs and symptoms of shock.
Cover the person to keep them from getting cold.
Stay with them until advanced help arrives.
First aid for bleeding
1.Assess the Situation
Before approaching the injured person, make sure the area is free from any hazards (traffic, sharp objects, slippery objects)
Ensure the safety of both the injured person and yourself.:
2 Call emergency services In severe orthopedic injuries (bone protruding through the skin, severe deformities, or if the person cannot move or feel a limb).
3. Stay Calm and Reassure the Injured Person
4. Immobilize the Injury
If you suspect a fracture or dislocation,
Immobilize the injured area to prevent further damage. To stabilize the injured limb, you can use materials like (splints, rolled-up newspapers ,clothing)
Be gentle and try not to move the injured area unnecessarily.
5. Control Swelling
Apply a cold pack or bag of ice wrapped in a cloth to the injured area for 15-20 minutes at a time.
Ensure there is a barrier between the cold source and the skin to prevent frostbite.
6. Elevate the Injured Area
Elevate the injured limb slightly to reduce swelling.
Keep it elevated at a level above the heart if possible.
7. Pain Management
Follow the dosing instructions and consult a healthcare professional if you have any concerns.
Do not give pain medication without knowing the allergies of the injured individual.
8. Do Not Attempt to “Pop” Joints Back
In cases of dislocations, never try to pop the joint back into place on your own.
Leave this to medical professionals who have the necessary training and equipment.
9. Observe for Complications
Keep an eye out for signs of complications (loss of circulation, numbness, tingling, or changes in skin color). If any of these occur, loosen the splint or immobilization device slightly to relieve pressure and maintain circulation.
10. Stay with the Injured Person
Stay with injured person until the professional help arrives and provide reassurance. If the situation worsens or changes, be ready to update the call to emergency operator with any new information.
