🧠 10 Mental Health Tips for Lifelong Learners & Job Seekers 💎

In celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month

At DIAMOND, we know that upskilling, reskilling, and job searching can be emotionally challenging. Stress, self-doubt, and burnout are real – and they directly affect learning outcomes and employability.

To support you on your lifelong learning journey, we’ve gathered 10 practical, research-backed tips to help strengthen your mental well-being as you grow your skills:

10 Mental Health Tips for Lifelong Learners & Job Seekers

1️⃣ 🎯 Set achievable goals – Breaking tasks into manageable steps enhances motivation and reduces stress.

2️⃣ 📈 Track & celebrate progress – Acknowledge even small successes to boost confidence and build momentum.

3️⃣ ⏰ Maintain a routine – Consistent daily structure creates a sense of control and psychological stability.

4️⃣ 🤝 Stay connected – Engaging with peers or support groups fosters belonging and combats isolation.

5️⃣ 💖 Practice self-compassion & self-care – Be kind to yourself during setbacks; growth isn’t always linear.

6️⃣ 📚 Engage in meaningful learning – Choose learning that aligns with your interests and values for deeper motivation.

7️⃣ 🏃‍♀️ Incorporate physical activity – Movement supports mood regulation, focus, and stress reduction.

8️⃣ 💻 Use digital tools mindfully – Balance screen time with offline activities to avoid digital fatigue.

9️⃣ 🧭 Proactively seek guidance – Reach out to support services, mentors, or career counselors to navigate change.

🔟 🌱 Embrace a growth mindset – View challenges as opportunities; believe in your capacity to adapt and thrive.

📚 Sources & Resources on Mental Health:

European Commission: https://tinyurl.com/6d9ba3an 

Harvard Business Publishing: https://tinyurl.com/kwsdwpxm 

The Thrive Lab: https://tinyurl.com/yjdhpfmu 

Journal of Psychiatric Research: https://tinyurl.com/3mm4sma3 

WHO: https://tinyurl.com/3u6bau7r 

The British Psychological Society: https://tinyurl.com/yu6e9cpb 

ResearchGate: https://tinyurl.com/7kunesct 

ScienceDirect: https://tinyurl.com/5aukz8jr 

💡 At DIAMOND, we are committed to building not just skills, but also confidence and resilience, paving inclusive pathways into the green and digital future.

💎 Advancing ᴱGROW: DIAMOND Workshop Highlights 💡

On May 5, a DIAMOND workshop brought together researchers from the University of Vienna and Aarhus University to collaborate on the development of the ᴱGROW Index.

📌 ᴱGROW will serve as a measurement tool to classify and segment user groups based on their needs – guiding the content and format of future learning programs.

During the session, the group discussed:

🔹 The preliminary structure of the index

🔹 Potential drivers and outcomes for each indicator

🔹 Concepts for an engaging and intuitive graphical representation

This workshop marks a key step toward building a robust and user-friendly tool that supports inclusive learning pathways across Europe. 🇪🇺

Stay tuned as ᴱGROW evolves from concept to impact! 🚀

🔗 https://diamond-empower.eu/

WP5 of the DIAMOND Project brings MOVEᴱ – our modular learning environment – to life. By combining cloud-native technology, new micro-credentials, innovative learning formats, and explainable AI, WP5 empowers individuals with the skills they need to thrive in a fast-changing world.
WP5 works hand in hand with WP1 (ᴱGROW Index and profiles) and WP6 (innovation and engagement activities) to ensure that learning pathways are smarter, fairer, and truly future-ready.

Here is how WP5 is shaping the future of learning:
1️⃣ Establishment and Maintenance of the Cloud-Native Platform
We are building a secure, flexible digital backbone that connects learners, educators, and resources in one powerful environment.
📌 Leader: CETIC 🇧🇪
Partners: Aarhus University 🇩🇰 & Immersion 🇫🇷

2️⃣ Rethinking Existing and Co-Development of New Micro-Credentials
We are adapting and co-creating micro-credentials to target real-world transformative capabilities like green and digital skills.
📌 Leader: EMiT Feltrinelli 🇮🇹
Partners: Universidad de Burgos 🇪🇸, CETIC 🇧🇪, Proportional Message 🇵🇹, Deinde sp. z o. o. 🇵🇱, Fundacja Obiektywna 🇵🇱 & Youth Power Germany e.V. 🇩🇪

3️⃣  Rethinking Existing and Co-Development of New Learning Formats
We are designing flexible new learning formats – online, hybrid, and virtual – that adapt to different learner needs and experiences.
📌 Leader: Immersion 🇫🇷
Partners: CETIC 🇧🇪, Proportional Message 🇵🇹, EMiT Feltrinelli 🇮🇹, Deinde sp. z o. o. 🇵🇱, Fundacja Obiektywna 🇵🇱, Youth Power Germany e.V. 🇩🇪 & Fundación Miradas 🇪🇸

4️⃣ Development and Facilitation of the Underlying AI Model
We are developing a transparent AI recommender system that personalizes learning journeys, combining Graph Neural Networks and Federated Learning – all guided by the ᴱGROW Index.
📌 Leader: Aarhus University 🇩🇰
Partners: CETIC 🇧🇪, Immersion 🇫🇷

📈 With WP5, led by CETIC 🇧🇪, DIAMOND is making education more modular, intelligent, and personalized – putting real transformative learning within everyone’s reach.

🤝 Our Other Partners:
Freie Universität Berlin 🇩🇪, RWTH Aachen University 🇩🇪, University of Vienna 🇦🇹, European Centre For Economic Policy Analysis and Affairs (ECEPAA) 🇧🇪 & Evolutionary Archetypes Consulting SL 🇪🇸

🔗 Learn more: https://diamond-empower.eu/about/

The European Skills Agenda is the EU’s five-year plan to help people and businesses develop the skills needed for the future.

It promotes sustainable growth, social fairness, and resilience in response to challenges like the green and digital transitions and the COVID-19 crisis.

💡 For job seekers, this means better access to upskilling, more inclusive learning pathways, and stronger support for lifelong learning.

DIAMOND supports all 12 ESA actions, with a special focus on these 5:

Action 2: Strengthening Skills Intelligence

➡️ Efforts to improve the collection, analysis, and use of data on skills needed in the labor market.

✅ DIAMOND’s ᴱGROW Index maps individuals’ capabilities to guide smarter upskilling.

Action 6: Skills to support the twin transitions

➡️ Preparing people for jobs in the green and digital economy with green & digital skills.

✅ DIAMOND offers tailored micro-credentials in digital and sustainability skills.

Action 8: Skills for Life

➡️ Supporting lifelong learning and personal development.

✅ MOVEᴱ provides flexible formats that build emotional, cognitive, and practical skills.

Action 9: Individual Learning Accounts

➡️ Empowering individuals to build skills throughout their lives by providing them with financial support and access to training opportunities.

✅ MOVEᴱ acts as a personalized learning account, with tools to choose and track skills.

Action 10: Micro-Credentials

➡️ Use of short, flexible, and often online courses to provide learners with specific knowledge and skills

✅ DIAMOND co-develops micro-credentials with grassroots and VET partners.

🎯 In short: DIAMOND doesn’t just align with the European Skills Agenda — it operationalizes it. DIAMOND aims to transform policy into action by offering real tools for inclusive, intelligent, and future-ready upskilling.

📎 Source: EC – European Skills Agenda: https://tinyurl.com/45xjcusx  

🔗 Learn more https://diamond-empower.eu/about/ 

Upskilling and reskilling are vital to keeping workers competitive and inclusive in the digital and green transitions. The recent Policy Session on Employment & Social Rights at the Horizon Europe Cluster 2 Coordinators’ Day emphasized the need for future-ready skills in line with the European Pillar of Social Rights.

More about the Coordinator’s Day: https://tinyurl.com/49bu5awv

Why It Matters:

📉 1 in 4 young people lack basic skills in reading, maths, and science.
📊 80% of companies struggle to find skilled workers.
🔄 Workers must adapt to automation, digitalization, and sustainability.

Key EU Initiatives Driving Change:

📚 Basic Skills Support & STEM Education Plan
🛡️ Skills Guarantee for at-risk workers
🏭 EU Skills Academies for green and digital industries

DIAMOND promotes gender equality and inclusion by ensuring access to upskilling opportunities for women and underrepresented groups. Our research:
✅ Identifies barriers to equal access
✅ Supports targeted training programs
✅ Provides data-driven policy recommendations for an inclusive workforce

DIAMOND ensures diverse, inclusive access to lifelong learning and helps build a future-ready workforce across industries. 💜 Let’s ensure everyone has the skills to succeed!

🔗 Learn more https://diamond-empower.eu/about/

Not all learners are the same – so why should training be? Traditional, one-size-fits-all approaches to re-skilling and up-skilling often miss the mark.

The Critical Need for Personalized Learning:

Many employees aren’t reaching their full potential due to irrelevant training. One-size-fits-all methods fail because learners have diverse needs and goals (tinyurl.com/3d9h2s2e).
Personalized learning increases engagement: 75% vs. 30% in traditional settings (tinyurl.com/55wshktu).

Key re-/up-skilling challenges include:

• Lack of human-centric approach
• Insufficient focus on digital/green skills
• Lack of personalization and agility
• Inadequate inclusion
• Limited digitalization and AI use

DIAMOND’s MOVEᴱ platform offers AI-powered, personalized learning experiences to revolutionize re-skilling and up-skilling.

How DIAMOND’s Transforms Re-skilling & Up-skilling:

✅ AI-Powered Recommendations with MOVEᴱ: Personalized learning paths based on ᴱGROW profiles and labor market needs.
✅ ᴱGROW Index: Helps assess employability potential.
✅ Micro-Credentials: Stackable certifications for focused skill development.
✅ Modern Learning Formats: VR, virtual collaboration, and flexible online courses to increase engagement.
✅ Focus on Inclusion: Ensures equitable access, considering gender, socio-economic background, and digital skills gaps.

Why It Matters:

Personalized learning leads to better engagement, retention, and employability, helping individuals succeed in today’s fast-evolving job market.

WP3 of the DIAMOND Project explores individuals’ transformative capabilities, such as digital and green skills, to better understand the skills needed for the future of work. The goal is to identify gaps, mapping drivers and inhibitors, and examining their impact on employment, WP3 will provide valuable insights to shape skill development strategies.

What Happens in WP3?
1️⃣ Mapping Transformative Capabilities
We’ll conduct surveys across several countries (🇵🇹, 🇪🇸, 🇵🇱, 🇩🇪, 🇮🇹) to identify gaps in transformative capabilities, focusing on DIAMOND target groups.
Leader: Aarhus University 🇩🇰
Partners: PM 🇵🇹, EMiT Feltrinelli🇮🇹, Deinde sp. z o. o.🇵🇱, FOB 🇵🇱, Youth Power 🇩🇪, and Fundación Miradas 🇪🇸

2️⃣ Mapping Drivers & Inhibitors of Transformative Capabilities
This task will identify and map factors (e.g., socio-economic background, technological readiness) that drive or hinder transformative capabilities.
Leader: Aarhus University 🇩🇰
Partners: Freie Universität Berlin 🇩🇪, ICCRAM University of Burgos Universidad de Burgos 🇪🇸, RWTH Aachen University 🇩🇪, and University of Vienna 🇦🇹

3️⃣ Generating Insights on Drivers and Inhibitors of Transformative Capabilities
We’ll conduct a second round of surveys in additional countries (🇩🇰, 🇦🇹, 🇧🇪, 🇫🇷) to refine insights into the drivers and inhibitors of transformative capabilities.
Leader: Aarhus University 🇩🇰
Partners: PM 🇵🇹, EMiT Feltrinelli 🇮🇹, Deinde sp. z o. o. 🇵🇱, FOB 🇵🇱, Youth Power 🇩🇪, and Fundación Miradas 🇪🇸,

4️⃣ Examining the Impact on Employment Outcomes
Field studies will measure how these capabilities influence job success, feeding insights into WP6.
Leader: Deinde sp. z o. o.🇵🇱
Parnters: Immersion 🇫🇷, PM 🇵🇹, EMiT Feltrinelli 🇮🇹, FOB 🇵🇱

By continuously integrating insights and data, WP3 will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of skills development and employability.

🔗 Learn more: https://diamond-empower.eu/about/

As part of the DIAMOND Project, MOVEᴱ is redefining lifelong learning with personalized, flexible, and AI-driven pathways designed to match real-world career needs.

What makes MOVEᴱ different?

MOVEᴱ  Platform Features:

✅ Modular Design – Flexible learning components tailored to individual goals.

✅ AI-powered Recommendations – Personalized learning paths based on EGROW profiles.

✅ Micro-credentials – Incremental skill-building with short, focused modules.

✅ Innovative Formats – Courses, simulations, and mixed reality experiences.

✅ Co-creation with Learners – Programs that are practical and relevant to real-world needs.

✅ Human-Centered Focus – Empowering individuals to take control of their own learning journeys.

Why does MOVEᴱ matter?

In today’s fast-changing job market, upskilling and reskilling are essential. MOVEᴱmakes learning:

📊 Flexible – Learn anytime, anywhere, at your own pace.

🔍 Personalized – Tailored to meet your specific goals and learning preferences.

🚀 Empowering – Equip yourself with the skills necessary for career growth and resilience.

MOVEᴱ supports lifelong learning through DIAMOND’s Envision, Engage, Employ framework:

🔎 Envision – Understand your skills, set goals, and map your learning journey.

🤝 Engage – Access tailored training and evolve with MOVEᴱ ’s AI-powered platform.

🚀 Employ – Track employability growth and apply your skills in real-world jobs.

With MOVEᴱ, learning is no longer a one-size-fits-all experience—it’s a personalized, evolving journey designed to empower individuals to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Learn more: 👉 https://diamond-empower.eu/about

We are thrilled to introduce the distinguished members of our DIAMOND Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAB)! 

Our three expert advisors will:

✅ Provide insights on DIAMOND’s tools, including ᴱGROW and MOVEᴱ

✅ Contribute to the DIAMOND pathway to employment

✅ Support Grassroots Living Labs

Meet our SAB members:

💎 Prof. Christian Brock – Professor and Chair of Marketing at the University of Rostock, Germany. His research focuses on retail management, services marketing, and the digital and sustainable transformation of businesses

💎 Prof. Víctor Abella García – Professor and researcher at the University of Burgos, Spain, and Director of the university’s Virtual Teaching Center since 2013. He brings expertise in digital education and technology-enhanced learning.

💎 Markos Giannopoulos – Technologist and entrepreneur with a career in software development since 1998. He has played a key role in the growth of several IT enterprises, driving innovation in digital solutions.

We look forward to their expertise in shaping the future of DIAMOND!