[Last updated on 20th April 2022]

🇺🇦 Translation in Ukrainian (courtesy of our changemaker friend Nadiia Mukhalevych)

Our prayers and thoughts are with the people of Ukraine, the people of Central Europe opening their homes to welcome those fleeing the war, and all those who are doing whatever is in their capacity to put an end to this war. We invite everyone to contribute in whichever way they can. Check out MitOst’s* #StandWithUkraine effort if you’re looking for ways to help: https://www.mitost.org/ukraine/. Another good website to discover ways to support Ukraine as a foreigner is https://supportukrainenow.org.

Like in other situations, we think that the best way Recipes for Wellbeing can support the people of Ukraine and all those affected by the war, is by sharing a curated selection of our recipes to look after mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. We have tried to include a mix of activities, from individual to group practices, from easier to more difficult practices, from dealing with stress and panic attacks to mourning the loss of loved ones.

We hope they will bring some comfort in these tragic times and equip you with tools to deal with the trauma, but please do seek the help of professional therapists if you feel overwhelmed.

Local resources

1. “Aim” offers both online and offline support, and shares a lot of resources on how to deal with stress and anxiety. Check out their Instagram page too!
2. “Tell me” is a Ukrainian local free resource for mental health assistance. You can join both as a client or as a psychologist for psychological support 24/7.
3. The chat bot “How are you?”, started by psychotherapist lllia Poludonnyi, invites you to share your emotions and experiences connected to the war. You can also fill out a form and register to receive personalised mental health support.
4. “Open Doors Center” provides free psychological support to deal with anxiety. You can apply by filling out this form.
5. “Resilience Hub” offers support to Ukrainians both abroad and in Ukraine. More details on how to receive support can be found in this post, and here are the calendly links to book a time slot: Ukraine or abroad.
6. Mark Livin is an influencer who talks a lot about dealing with anxiety during the war, and he’s a co-host of a very popular podcast about psychology. They created a special edition focused on dealing with emotions during the war – listen to it on Soundcloud or Apple podcast.
7. The National Psychologist Association in Ukraine shares a lot of material on how to deal with stress. They also offer free support to temporarily displaced Ukrainians in different countries.
8. Psy.For.Peace offers free and anonymous psychological support in the Russian language.
9. Masha Foundation offers psychological support for kids during the war. To receive support, please fill out this form.
10. You can connect to “Peremoga Support” via Messenger to receive free support.

Resources for children

Sesame Workshop has mobilised to distribute educational content for Ukrainian children and families. They recently released a YouTube playlist with Ukrainian-language videos, designed to provide playful engagement to children both in Ukraine and host countries. For young children, play is a vital pathway for learning – but opportunities for playful engagement are limited in times of war and crisis. Check out the videos to spark imagination and offer ways for children to learn through play.

Mental wellbeing

1. “Coping with panic attacks” (level: easy • duration: ~15 minutes) – this is a simple technique to cope with panic attacks. You can do it by yourself or you can guide a friend in need to help them reduce the symptoms and feel calmer and safe. If you have children around you who are in distress, we encourage you to use this recipe instead: “Koeppen’s relaxation for children”. 🇺🇦 Ukrainian Translation
2. “Mind mapping for grief” (level: medium • duration: ~2 hours) – this is a more advanced practice to work through the heaviness of grief. It can be combined with the recipe “Gentleness through grief” presented under the spiritual wellbeing category. Not suitable for children. 🇺🇦 Ukrainian Translation

Physical wellbeing

1. “Yoga4Peace” (level: easy • duration: ~30 minutes) – this is a simple heart-opening practice to foster peace within oneself, with others, and with the surrounding environment. 🇺🇦 Ukrainian Translation
2. “CBT strategies to help you sleep” (level: medium • duration: ongoing) – this recipe offers a series of self-initiated strategies to help you sleep and preserve your immune system from deteriorating. 🇺🇦 Ukrainian Translation

Emotional wellbeing

1. “Ring theory” (level: medium • duration: ongoing) – this is a reflective activity to map your support networks and understand whom you can reach out for support and who you can give support to. We recommend doing this alone. Not suitable for children. 🇺🇦 Ukrainian Translation
2. “Releasing energy” (level: medium • duration: 15 minutes) – this is mindfulness practice to protect your energy field from negative emotions so you can continue to empathise with others without feeling overwhelmed. You can do it by yourself or with other people, in which case we suggest one person guides the group through the guidelines.

Spiritual wellbeing

1. “Fear setting to make difficult decisions” (level: medium • duration: ~1.5 hours) – this is an activity to overcome the paralysis you might be experiencing when it seems like your fears have become reality. It is particularly recommended for individuals, teams, and communities to avoid self-destructive behaviours.
2. “Gentleness through grief” (level: hard • duration: ongoing) – this is a practice to help you understand the different stages of grief and find what helps you cope with the challenging emotions.

Extra

1. “Mindful colouring” (level: easy • duration: up to 1 hour) – this is a simple but powerful practice using colouring to help you process your thoughts and emotions and cultivate peace and tranquillity… and it is suitable for children. 🇺🇦 Ukrainian Translation
2. “Mitigating aftershock for activists” (level: medium • duration: ongoing) – this recipe offers useful tips for activists and social change agents to avoid or mitigate aftershock. You can do it alone or bring the practices into your community of activists and allies. 🇺🇦 Ukrainian Translation

May we find a path towards peace and unity.

The Recipes for Wellbeing Team

*MitOst e.V. is a trusted friend of ChangemakerXchange, which, in turn, is a trusted partner of Recipes for Wellbeing.