1. Understanding the Basics of Mental Health Literacy

This foundational category serves as the essential starting point for groups with limited exposure to mental health concepts. Young people often encounter mental health terminology without truly understanding what these terms mean or how they apply to their own experiences. These eight workshops systematically build core knowledge about mental health, from basic terminology and the mental health continuum to the nuanced understanding of defense mechanisms and emotional vocabulary.

When to use this category: Choose these workshops when working with groups new to mental health education, when addressing widespread misconceptions and stigma, or when establishing a common foundation before progressing to more specific topics. These activities are particularly valuable at the beginning of mental health awareness campaigns, in educational settings introducing the subject for the first time, or when group members demonstrate limited understanding of basic mental health concepts.

What participants will learn: Core mental health concepts and terminology, the distinction between mental health and mental illness, psychological defense mechanisms and their role in daily life, strategies for reducing stigma and using appropriate language, expanded emotional vocabulary and awareness, and the difference between observable signs and subjective symptoms of mental distress.

2.Depression: Recognizing and Managing Symptoms

Depression remains one of the most common yet misunderstood mental health conditions affecting young adults. Many struggle silently, either unaware that their experience constitutes depression or hesitant to seek help due to persistent stigma and misconceptions. This category provides targeted education about depressive disorders through both serious exploration and engaging, gamified approaches that make the topic more accessible to young people.

When to use this category: These workshops are appropriate when your group has expressed concerns about depression, when supporting peers who may be experiencing depressive symptoms, or when building capacity to recognize and respond to depression within a community. They work well following foundational mental health education and can be particularly valuable during periods of high stress when depression risk increases, such as academic exam periods or major life transitions.

What participants will learn: Recognition of signs and symptoms across different types of depressive disorders, evidence-based understanding of depression’s causes and treatments, skills to distinguish between normal sadness and clinical depression, strategies for supporting someone experiencing depression, and knowledge about when and how to seek professional help.

3.Managing Stress and Anxiety

Stress and anxiety have become defining features of young adult life in the twenty-first century. Academic pressures, career uncertainties, social media demands, and global instability contribute to chronic stress that many young people feel ill-equipped to manage. This category, containing six comprehensive workshops, provides both immediate coping strategies and long-term resilience-building approaches. The activities range from personal skill development to community-level advocacy for mental health support systems.

When to use this category: Select these workshops when working in high-stress environments such as universities during exam periods, workplaces experiencing organizational change, or communities facing collective challenges. These activities are valuable both as preventive education and as responsive intervention when stress levels are elevated. The variety of workshops allows you to tailor your approach from individual coping skills to systemic community support.

What participants will learn: Practical techniques for managing acute stress and anxiety, burnout prevention and recognition strategies, resilience-building practices that support long-term mental health, mindfulness and grounding techniques for emotional regulation, community-based approaches to stress management and mental health advocacy, and comprehensive understanding of the relationship between stress, anxiety, and overall wellbeing.

4.Digital Wellness and Modern Challenges

The digital age has introduced entirely new mental health challenges that previous generations never faced. Social media comparison, constant connectivity, information overload, and addictive app design all contribute to mental health difficulties that young people may not fully recognize or understand. This category addresses these contemporary issues head-on, helping participants develop awareness of how their digital habits affect their mental health and empowering them to establish healthier relationships with technology.

When to use this category: These workshops are particularly relevant for groups deeply embedded in digital culture, when addressing concerns about social media’s impact on self-esteem and relationships, or when participants report feeling overwhelmed by constant connectivity. They work well in educational institutions, youth centers, and workplace wellness programs where excessive screen time and digital distraction are common concerns.

What participants will learn: Understanding of how social media affects emotions, self-perception, and productivity, recognition of problematic technology use and digital addiction patterns, strategies for establishing healthy boundaries with devices and online platforms, skills for mindful and intentional technology engagement, and methods for balancing digital connection with real-world relationships and activities..

5.Setting Boundaries

The ability to establish and maintain healthy boundaries is fundamental to mental health, yet many young people struggle with this skill. Whether due to people-pleasing tendencies, fear of conflict, difficulty identifying personal needs, or lack of assertiveness skills, poor boundary-setting contributes to stress, burnout, and compromised wellbeing. This category uses creative, experiential methods to help participants understand the importance of boundaries and develop practical skills for implementing them in various contexts.

When to use this category: Choose these workshops when participants demonstrate difficulty saying no, when addressing relationship challenges or workplace stress related to poor boundaries, or when focusing on personal development and self-advocacy. These activities are valuable for groups ready to move beyond awareness into practical skill application and are particularly effective when participants have already developed some foundational mental health literacy.

What participants will learn: Understanding of what boundaries are and why they matter for mental health, practical boundary-setting and communication skills, connection between emotional intelligence and effective boundary maintenance, strategies for maintaining boundaries under pressure or in challenging relationships, integration of boundary work with overall happiness and life satisfaction, and development of assertiveness without aggression.