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Serotonin is also known as the happiness hormone. It can be obtained from certain foods. For example, pineapple, nuts, plums, oysters, and similar seafood are beneficial foods that help in the secretion of the serotonin hormone.

Huriye Çakır

Şehit Ufuk Fesli Secondary School, Turkey

WHAT ARE THE FOODS THAT ARE GOOD FOR

OUR MENTAL HEALTH?

Omega-3 sources are a significant supporter of our mental health, for example, healthy fats like seafood, olive oil, and hazelnut oil, as well as fresh fruits, vegetables, and legumes, can be counted among omega-3 sources

Deficiencies in sources of B12, folic acid, and vitamin D can lead to many psychological disorders, including depression. Therefore, paying attention to factors like fruits and vegetables and adequate sunlight will contribute to psychological health

Prebiotics (for gut health) is closely related to our mental health through the gut-brain axis. A healthy gut microbiota can have positive effects on mood. Sources: fermented foods such as kefir, yoğurt, pickles, and kimchi.

HYDRATION - team Stoica-Fetea Didona, Technological High School ”Constantin Brancusi” Craiova, Romania 

   Water plays an important role in many bodily functions, such as protecting your organs, regulating your body temperature and maintaining cellular electrolyte balance. 

The positive effects of HYDRATION:

1. is what reduces or even eliminates stress and fatigue;

2. It contributes to the relaxation of the body;

3. It helps us rest adequately;

1. Reduces Stress

2. Provides Emotional Balance

3. Increases self-confidence

4. Reduces feelings of loneliness and isolation

5. Strengthens Mental Attention

6. Promotes Positive Thinking

7. May Reduce the Risk of Depression and Anxiety.

The positive effects of hobbies on mental health

Nesrin AKPINAR Kahramanmaras Science  High School

Nataliia Soloviova

Slavutych Lyceum, Ukraine

Quality sleep is like a mental health superpower – it can help you have more patience and help you deal with any stress, including relationship, work or study difficulties. If you want to sleep well you should:

1. Sleep regular hours (create a sleep schedule)

2. Relax before bed, put away your gadgets at least one hour before sleeping

           Sleeping habits

3. Air your room before sleeping

4. Make your room dark and quiet (or use earplugs and a blindfold)

5.  Don't eat or drink much before bed, but also don't go to bed very hungry

6.  Make your bed comfortable

7.  Don't have physical activities before sleep

8.  Sleep 6-8 hours a day

9.  Limit daytime naps

Nursel Kayışoğlu-Özdemir Sabancı Emirgan Anatolian High School,Istanbul Türkiye

                                          Physical Activities

1-Regular physical activity lowers levels of stress hormones like cortisol.Engaging in movement—such as walking, jogging,yoga—can help you decompress after a stressful day.Advice: Take a 20-minute walk outdoors to clear your mind.

2-Activities such as yoga, tai chi, and walking promote a connection between the body and mind, helping reduce racing thoughts.Advice: 10–15 minutes each morning to mindful movement before starting your day.

 3-Joining group fitness classes can reduce feelings of isolation and foster a sense of belonging. Advice:Sign up for a local walking group 

4- Regular movement helps regulate sleep patterns, which in turn improves mental resilience and emotional balance.
Advice:Avoid intense workouts right before bed. Aim for light evening stretching or a gentle walk.

5-Physical activity increases blood flow to the brain, enhancing memory, focus, and learning abilities.

Exercise stimulates the production of endorphins. This natural high can lift your mood and combat anxiety or depression.
Advice:Try aerobic cycling, or swimming to enjoy a quick mood boost.

code: "I am responsible for what I FEEL, SAY, I DO. 

code: "I make myself angry" 

code: "I create my own joy and sadness" 

code: "I am not responsible for what others feel" 

code: "they get angry all by themselves" 

code: "there are at least 4 ways I can feel in a situation"

Mental reprogramming codes

Bozbici Corina-Avram Iancu school, Campia Turzii, Romania

code: "if I feel rejected, abandoned, wronged, humiliated, it means I still have work to do." 

code: "if someone pushes my buttons and I'm still it still hurts, I still have work to do"code: "my value as a man is the same even if I am wrong and even if others laugh at and criticize me" 

code: "I am not what others say I am" 

code: "I am not my mistakes and failures" 

code: "I am not superior or inferior"

code:  "I don't like it, but I can take it and I can stay calm"

code: I love myself and I like myself

Canan Gülbey/Nizip Science High School

FRIENDS and FAMILY

 Our friends and families have a huge impact on our mental health. 

Positive Effects: 

Emotional Support, Sense of belonging, practical help, positive role models, motivation and accountabilty.

    Here is a quick list of why friends and family are important for your mental health:

1) When parents listen without judgement, comfort us, and show love, it helps us feel safe and valued.

2) A consistent and caring home environment reduces stress and anxiety.

3) Friends who accept us  as we are give us a sense of belonging and reduce feelings of loneliness.

4) Good friends help us relax,laugh and enjoy life-powerful tools for reducing stress.

5)Having someone to talk to during difficult moments can ease emotional pain and provide perspective.

6) Friends can inspire us to try new things, stay motivated, and make healthier choices.

7)Being able to talk to parents about feelings,problems or mistakes without fear encourages emotional growth.

  Practice  Mindfulness

Breathing tips

Meditation tips

EXTRA TIPS

-Accept the Moment as It Is: When you feel a strong emotion like frustration or

sadness, take a deep breath and say to yourself: “This is what I feel right now, and it’s okay to feel this.”

Emel Naras/Cumhuriyet Anatolian High School/ANKARA /TÜRKİYE

Having a daily routine can significantly impact mental  health in positive ways:

  1.    Reduces Stress and Anxiety:

    •    Knowing what to expect from your day brings a sense of control and predictability, which reduces stress.

    2.    Improves Sleep Quality:

    •    Regular sleep/wake times help regulate your body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm), leading to better rest and improved mood.

    3.    Boosts Mental Clarity:

    •    Routines help reduce decision fatigue—freeing up mental energy for more important or creative tasks.

4.    Supports Emotional Stability:

    •    When life feels chaotic, a routine can provide a grounding structure, making it easier to manage emotional ups and downs.

    5.    Encourages Healthy Habits:

    •    Regular time for self-care, hobbies, or journaling can improve self-esteem and overall mental well-being.

Break 

the

Mold

Live Out Loud

    Create.Adapt.İnspire

Live 

With 

Purpose

Embrace 

Uniqueness

Demet  Görgel/Cumhuriyet Anatolian High Scholl/Türkiye/Ankara

1. Break the Mold

Don't be limited by predefined roles or expectations.

True innovation starts when we dare to challenge conformity.

2. Live with Purpose

A meaningful life is built on conscious, value-driven decisions.

Living with purpose gives direction, motivation, and depth to our actions.

3. Live Out Loud

Express your identity with confidence and clarity.

Living out loud means refusing to silence your thoughts, passions, and beliefs.

4. Create. Adapt. Inspire.

Creativity sparks change, adaptability ensures survival.

Those who create and evolve are the ones who inspire real transformation.

5. Embrace Uniqueness

Every individual’s difference is a strength, not a flaw.

By embracing uniqueness, we foster inclusivity, innovation, and growth.

          HOW TO REDUCE YOUR SCREEN TIME

    Georgia Tsirmpa, 3rd Lyceum of Tripoli, Greece

Scoala Gimnaziala Nr.1 Rosiori Bacau Romania Melinte Ancuta

Practicing gratitude is a powerful way to improve your mental and emotional well-being. It helps you focus on the positive aspects of life, even during challenging times, and can lead to increased happiness, better relationships, improved sleep, and reduced stress and anxiety.

Thank you and a big hug from Romania!

Yeliz Yumrukkaya- Manisa TOKİ Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, Manisa / Türkiye

Being able to say ''NO''

Our mental health is our quality of life and our precious treasure. The “My Mental Health is My Wealth” project aims to guide young people to protect and apply this precious treasure. One of the cornerstones of this issue is the ability to say no.

Being able to say no is one of the most effective ways to protect our mental health and work. Because demands and social pressures from our demands can sometimes put us in a difficult situation, create stress and cause us to exceed our limits. In this place, growth means expanding and expanding our own limits. 

means that we protect. 

This is one of the cornerstones of our mental health.

The project “My Mental Health is My Wealth” teaches young people not only to respect themselves and their loved ones, but also to their own values and the absence of privileges. Being able to say no means determining and protecting one’s own mental qualities. This prevents negative effects such as stress, anxiety and burnout.

Also, maintaining the self-confidence of being able to say no; the more one lives one's own game and the more one feels valued. This unites and enriches the soul.

As a result, being able to say no, protect our soul and live is the valuable defender of our soul, which is our wealth. The project “My Mental Health is My Wealth” is a key to being healthy, happy and strong, spreading this skill.

     Ramazan Gürer - Kepez İzmirlioğulları Secondary School

The human body is not only made up of blood, flesh and bone, it is also a being that feels, thinks, suffers, despairs and sometimes feels sick even though there is no disease on his body. As we concentrate on negative things, we feel negative. Or vice versa.

Focus on Positive Things

     Ramazan Gürer - Kepez İzmirlioğulları Secondary School

- your brain chemicals change positively

- strengthen emotional resilience

- support physical and mental health

- strengthen social relationships

- reduce stress and anxiety

When You Focus on Positive Things

Elizabeta MIjalcheva, High School Naum Naumovski-Borce, Probishtip, North Macedonia

                    WALK   ON   NATURE

Spending time in nature is a powerful way to support students' mental health. Here are some practical tips that combine mental health strategies with walking in nature: