How did Heartbeat come about?

The Heartbeat mental health workshops, organised by BELhospice this summer in cooperation with AIESEC Serbia, created a space for conversations about emotions, relationships, resilience and self-care.

Every day, BELhospice works with people going through some of the most difficult moments in their lives, providing free palliative care services. This experience has taught us just how important mental health is – not only in times of crisis, but in everyday life as well. AIESEC, on the other hand, is an international youth organisation that provides young people with opportunities to develop personal and professional skills, gain international experience and actively contribute to their communities through a range of programmes and projects.
Heartbeat was created with the aim of bringing these two important perspectives together, providing a space where young people can talk openly, share experiences and develop skills that support their emotional well-being.

Ten workshops – One space for conversation

Ten workshops – One space for conversation

Participants talked about how to recognise and name emotions, find joy in everyday moments, seek and accept support, build healthy relationships, cope with stress, anxiety and difficult emotions, as well as how to develop emotional resilience and practise self-care in everyday life. The series concluded with a workshop dedicated to reflection and connection.

The workshops were free of charge and held in English with Serbian translation, creating a space for conversation and connection among young people, as well as people from different generations and backgrounds. Together, we were reminded of how meaningful and beneficial sharing experiences and talking openly can be for each individual, even within the small community created by a single workshop.

Thank you to AIESEC Serbia and Prostor Miljenko Dereta, as well as to all the participants whose experiences, questions and openness helped make the Heartbeat story possible.