🇱🇹 Lithuania Preparation Activities – Feelings Unleashed (FUL)

Preparing for an International Journey of Emotional Expression

As part of the Erasmus+ Youth Exchange "Feelings Unleashed (FUL)", all national groups completed a series of preparation activities before travelling to Greece. These activities were designed to introduce participants to the main themes of the project, strengthen teamwork within each national delegation, and encourage reflection on emotional wellbeing before the international mobility.

The Lithuanian team, represented by NGO MERAKI LT, actively participated in this preparation phase by researching emotional expression among young people and creating a collection of educational posters that summarize their findings. Their work reflects the core objectives of the project: promoting emotional intelligence, empathy, creativity, inclusion, and healthy communication through non-formal education. The preparation activities also allowed participants to arrive in Greece ready to exchange ideas, compare experiences with other countries, and contribute actively to the Youth Exchange programme. These activities are fully aligned with the objectives of the Feelings Unleashed project and the preparation tasks described in the project documentation.

Research on Emotions and Emotional Expression

During the preparation period, the Lithuanian participants carried out research exploring how young people experience, understand, and express emotions in today's society. Their work focused on the importance of emotional communication, the barriers that often prevent young people from expressing their feelings, and the role that creativity can play in supporting emotional wellbeing.

The research highlighted several important findings. Young people often hesitate to express their emotions because of fear of judgement, social expectations, bullying, or lack of emotional education. At the same time, healthy friendships and relationships are built on trust, empathy, honest communication, and emotional support. The participants also explored how artistic expression—including theatre, photography, music, and visual arts—can become powerful tools for expressing feelings when words alone are not enough. Finally, the research proposed practical ways to support others through active listening, empathy, open communication, and creating safe spaces where emotions can be shared without fear.

The complete research prepared by the Lithuanian team is available below and will also be presented during the international Youth Exchange in Greece as part of the intercultural learning activities.

Research File: 

Poster 1 – Barriers to Expressing Feelings

The first poster examines the important role emotions play in friendships and relationships while focusing on the barriers that prevent many young people from expressing their feelings openly. It explains that emotions form the foundation of healthy relationships because honest communication builds trust, respect, understanding, and emotional connection. At the same time, hiding emotions often leads to misunderstandings, conflicts, emotional distance, and weakened relationships.

The poster also presents practical recommendations for overcoming these barriers, including empathy, active listening, respecting personal boundaries, offering emotional support, and encouraging open conversations.

Poster 2 – Understanding Emotions

The second poster introduces a wide range of emotions that young people experience in everyday life. It distinguishes between positive emotions, difficult emotions, and common emotions shared by everyone. Happiness, excitement, hope, and pride are presented alongside emotions such as stress, anxiety, sadness, loneliness, anger, fear, and insecurity.

By presenting emotions visually, the poster encourages participants to recognize that every emotion is natural and that understanding our emotional experiences is the first step toward emotional wellbeing and self-awareness.

Poster 3 – Support and Empathy

The third poster summarizes the main conclusions of the Lithuanian research and demonstrates how empathy and emotional support strengthen friendships and communities. It explains why expressing emotions can sometimes be difficult, highlights the importance of healthy relationships, explores how creative activities encourage emotional communication, identifies modern challenges affecting young people, and proposes practical ways to support others through kindness, active listening, and respectful communication.

Its overall message reminds participants that emotional wellbeing grows when people feel accepted, heard, and supported by those around them.

Poster 4 – Creative Expression

The final poster focuses on the power of creativity as a language of emotions. It presents four artistic approaches—art, theatre, music, and photography—as valuable methods for expressing feelings that are often difficult to communicate verbally.

The poster also highlights the wider benefits of creative expression, including improving mental wellbeing, strengthening emotional management, building self-confidence, connecting people through shared experiences, and inspiring positive personal and social change. Its concluding message encourages every young person to express themselves freely and reminds participants that every voice and every emotion matters.