Inner Compass, Golanice, Poland

In mid-October (October 12–20, 2025), I participated in an international training course for youth workers entitled Inner Compass: Navigating Stress and Burnout in Youth Work. The training brought together two dozen leaders who felt both a personal and professional need to work on this topic. We were hosted by the 5G camp Golanice near the Polish city of Leszno.

The whole week was interwoven with topics such as mindfulness, stress, burnout, boundaries, values, and competencies. As a group, we spent a lot of time defining what each concept meant to us, how we related to them, and whether we had any personal experience with them. But we also discussed possible prevention measures and follow-up steps. The first few days were very conceptual and theoretical, but not boring or stereotypical, as we also explored methods such as theatre of the oppressed and World Café.

In the middle of the week, we went on a hike in the nearby countryside. But it wasn't just a walk; the trip was interspersed with many interesting activities and attractions (such as collecting giant mushrooms or exploring nature with all our senses). The whole day was rounded off with an evening gathering around the campfire with a guitar, singing, and roasting sausages and marshmallows.

The week culminated with work using the Ikigai method, where we helped each other determine our own life direction, and the open space method, where everyone could contribute their own activity. The offerings included, for example, Om chanting, foot massage, aromatherapy, nonviolent communication, the functioning of stress in the human body, and activities for accepting one's own body. There was also an evening of tasting delicacies from all our countries and watching a documentary film about human dreams and desires.

I am grateful to Karo and Carlos, who guided us through the entire program and explored topics related to mental health and burnout with us. I am also grateful to the host organization Fundacja CAT and the Erasmus+ program, without which this wonderful event would never have been possible. Thank you.