Stressed Out, Chill Out: Finding common mechanisms to reduce stress, increase positivity and overcome work- related anxiety through digital sharing and mobility exchanges for Women Professionals

We wanted to create meaningful support for migrant women, especially Ukrainian refugees, who were struggling with stress and isolation while adapting to new lives across Europe. Many of these wome...

We wanted to create meaningful support for migrant women, especially Ukrainian refugees, who were struggling with stress and isolation while adapting to new lives across Europe. Many of these women lacked access to culturally appropriate mental health resources and faced barriers connecting with their new communities.Our goal was to develop practical, accessible digital learning tools focusing on stress management, mindfulness, and building resilience. We created 12 multilingual modules in total covering mental health awareness, work-life balance, and active citizenship that women could access at their own pace. Through partnerships in Lithuania, Croatia, and Greece, we piloted these resources with 40 diverse participants, gathering feedback to improve content and usability. We wanted to foster peer connections, helping women share experiences and support each other through similar challenges.Beyond individual support, we strengthened cooperation between adult education providers and contribute evidence-based approaches for supporting displaced populations. We created sustainable resources that other organizations could adapt and use via digital platforms.

Throughout the SOCO project, we implemented a structured series of activities following our approved operational plan. We began with project management setup, monthly virtual coordination meetings, and clear role distribution. A virtual kick-off meeting launched the project, followed by a gap analysis and stakeholder research to identify key needs of migrant women. These findings informed the first SOCO Lab in Athens, where we co-designed the SOCO platform, developed the initial learning scenarios, and drafted the guidebook. Feedback was gathered and used to refine materials. The second SOCO Lab focused on updating the teaching scenarios, validating results through surveys, and preparing the final dissemination package. We piloted the modules in all partner countries and engaged participants in evaluation. Finally, we hosted the SOCO Workshop in Lithuania to present the finalized modules, digital guidebook, and case studies, and to gather final feedback before submission of our final report.

The SOCO project produced several key outputs aligned with our objectives. We developed and piloted twelve digital learning modules on stress management, resilience, digital wellbeing, and civic participation, each available in English, Croatian, Lithuanian, and Greek. A comprehensive SOCO Digital Guidebook was created for educators and facilitators, summarizing our approach, learning scenarios, and best practices. We conducted one in-person and one online SOCO Lab (Croatia and Greece) and one final dissemination workshop in Lithuania, involving over 60 migrant women a majority of which were Ukrainian. We also created a shared digital workspace, ran structured validation surveys, and collected feedback to improve our materials. Dissemination was carried out through social media, EPALE blogs, and community networks, ensuring wide visibility and open access to all resources. The project strengthened cooperation between adult education providers and improved partner capacities in digital learning and inclusive outreach. All outputs were made available in the SOCO digital hub, where all project results were collected in one place, making them convenient and practical. https://soco.webnode.page/