Today marks the start of Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and Action Mental Health’s Eating Disorder service, ‘AMH EveryBODY’, is focusing on how you can support someone who is living with or recovering from an eating disorder.

We have prepared a handy guide full of tips and advice on how to support a loved one, which you can download by visiting our resource section below.

The UK’s eating disorder charity ‘Beat’ estimates that around 1.25 million people are living with an eating disorder right now. Approximately 25% of those presenting are males, and last year, a survey found that more than half of men with an eating disorder have never received treatment.

Department of Health NI estimated figures reveal that up to 20,000 individuals will be living with an eating disorder at any one time in Northern Ireland, with an annual spend of £2 million dedicated to specialist eating disorder services since 2008. This excludes inpatient and treatment costs outside Northern Ireland (health-ni.gov.uk).

Eating disorders are most common in individuals between the ages of 16 and 40 years old – most develop during adolescence, although there are cases in children as young as 6 and in adults in their 70’s. (priorygroup.com, 2023).

What is an Eating Disorder?

Eating disorders are serious and complex mental disorders influenced by a range of factors. They can affect anyone of any age, gender or background. Eating disorders are not all about food itself, but about feelings. How a person interacts with food may make them feel more able to cope, or more in control.

What are the causes?

The exact cause is unknown but a combination of biological, psychological and social factors are believed to contribute to their development. Eating disorders are a coping mechanism for difficulties in that individual’s life, and are much more about feelings at the core than they are about just food or weight.

Protecting yourself during Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW24)

Eating Disorders Awareness Week can bring up many difficult feelings for anyone who has ever experienced (or also supported someone with) an eating disorder. That is why we have prepared a handy guide full of tips and advice on how to support a loved one. You’ll find that, and much more in our resource section – just click on the button below.

We will be sharing content across our social media channels this week to raise awareness of eating disorders, however, we want to remind you that if you need to take a break that is fine and an essential act of self-care. Protect your recovery and that of a loved one always. You are under no obligation to share or revisit pain or trauma just because there is an awareness week or day.

Some things to consider if you do want to share:

• Do I have the energy to revisit something that could be potentially distressing? Do I have support around me if I need it?
• What is the intent of me sharing?
• Will sharing set me back, or help me on my journey?
• Will there be an impact to family and friends by sharing publicly that needs to be discussed beforehand?

Remember that whilst sharing stories for awareness is important and can encourage others to seek support, you are in control of your own story and how much you share. Do what feels best for YOU.

Further support

If you are worried about a loved one and their relationship with food, body image, or exercise habits and you think they may have an eating disorder then please encourage them to speak to their GP first. It is important to access treatment as early as possible, as earlier treatment means a greater chance of fully recovering from an eating disorder. You will find other sources of help in our resource section below.

For further information on Action Mental Health’s Eating Disorder Service, AMH EveryBODY, click here.

A recent survey found that 62% of employees experience symptoms of imposter syndrome, whilst 82% of women in business report feeling like a fraud at work. If you’ve ever felt like you don’t belong, have doubted your own competency or have felt overcome by self-doubt, know that you’re not alone.

What is ‘imposter syndrome’?

Imposter syndrome refers to feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt that persist despite objective successes. This phenomenon is particularly common in the workplace, with nearly two-thirds of employees expressing doubt related to work accomplishments or feeling inadequate compared to colleagues.

Symptoms of imposter syndrome can include:

• Low self-confidence at work
• Undervaluing contributions
• Attributing successes to external factors
• Sensitivity over minor mistakes
• Self-doubt
• Fear of letting colleagues down
• Burnout

If any of these feelings sound familiar, you’re not alone. Following the 2020 pandemic, 47% of organisations noted a rise in employee imposter syndrome, with remote work presenting fewer opportunities to connect and celebrate success, exacerbating feelings of isolation and self-doubt. Research has also shown younger people to experience greater feelings of workplace fraudulence, with 86% of 18-34 year olds reporting feeling that they don’t deserve their jobs.

Whilst rates of professional self-doubt have grown universally in the past few years, certain industries seem to be particularly at risk. Specifically competitive sectors including creative arts, law, healthcare, journalism, IT and public services have been found to exhibit particularly high levels of imposter syndrome.

Overcoming imposter syndrome in the workplace

Imposter syndrome can cause significant damage to employees’ personal and professional lives, with research showing that employees with these feelings are less likely to career plan and move into leadership positions whilst being more likely to experience job dissatisfaction and burnout. But feelings of fraudulence don’t have to last forever. Here are three actionable steps anyone can take to turn around self-defeating thoughts:

1. Assess the evidence

When you start to notice that little voice creep in and tell you that you’re not good enough, it’s time to get out your notebook and challenge that inner critic. We recommend making a simple 2-colomn list- on one side you can write down evidence that supports your inner critic, on the other side write down evidence which disproves your inner critic. Whilst challenging thoughts can also feel factual, taking this objective approach is a helpful way to combat self-doubt by acknowledging and reflecting on proof of your own competency.

2. Keep an achievements log

As a society, we’re often hard-wired to focus on our failures rather than celebrating our successes. Whilst it may feel uncomfortable to acknowledge your strengths, doing so has been proven to boost resilience and self-esteem. We recommend keeping a daily record of the compliments you receive and the achievements you make. At the end of each week, set time aside to reflect on what has gone well.

3. Accept positive feedback

Another way to reinforce your own strengths and silence your inner critic involves learning to consciously accept positive feedback. Whilst it can feel instinctive to deny or dismiss praise from others’, we challenge you to instead say “thank you” and give yourself the opportunity to internalize others’ positive perspectives.

How can managers support their teams with reducing imposter syndrome?

Individual employees can take meaningful and powerful steps to overcome self-doubt, but to truly tackle imposter syndrome, organizational change is often needed. As a manager or leader, you can uplift your team and reduce levels of imposter syndrome with the following strategies:

1. Leverage strength based evaluations

Imposter syndrome can be an indicator that an employee feels overwhelmed by their responsibilities or needs to be reminded of their strengths. Utilise strength based evaluations to create frequent dialogues about the employees strengths, using concrete evidence to support your praise and positive feedback. During these conversations, set weekly and monthly goals that can be worked towards and reviewed collaboratively to avoid overwhelm. These conversations can also be an opportunity to identify where an employee’s areas of opportunity and provide additional training and support to further develop their strengths and skill set.

2. Make it safe to ask for help

When an employee is feeling fraudulent, as if they don’t deserve their job or as though they’re incompetent compared to colleagues, it’s often difficult for them to admit to needing support and guidance with work-related tasks. Instead, many employees will struggle in silence, overworking themselves to conceal any self-perceived flaws. The first step in creating a safe space for employees to ask for help involves examining your own beliefs as a manager. Do you treat your employees as if they are capable and competent? Do you trust them to overcome challenges? Challenging your own beliefs creates a means to communicate that you believe in your staff and want to support them to succeed. You can also create a safer environment by acknowledging your own vulnerabilities and creating a dialogue surrounding the stressors and impact of the work your team do.

3. Prioritise staff mental health in the workplace

Research has consistently found that people who struggle with imposter syndrome are more likely to experience mental health issues including anxiety and depression. When these individuals experience failure, they often suffer from low self-esteem and feel dissatisfied with their lives and careers. Therefore, supporting mental wellbeing is central to ensuring that staff are able to build self-efficacy and positive purpose from their work lives. Some ways to promote positive wellbeing within your team include investing in an organizational wellbeing service, having accessible signposts to expert help and ensuring that regular staff wellbeing trainings are available to all employees.

How AMH Works can help to create healthier and more resilient workplaces

AMH Works is a mental health training and consultancy service working with some of Northern Ireland and the UK’s leading organisations. Our programmes teach the skills needed to support and maintain healthy resilient workplaces for every level of employee. Our programmes have a proven positive impact on health and wellness, reducing sickness absence and can help to make your workplace a more effective and resilient place to work. Our mental wellbeing training programmes include:

• Mindful Manager
• Mental Health Awareness
• Personal Resilience
• Stress Awareness and Management
• Compassionate Conversations
• Mental Health First Aid
• SafeTALK
• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

To find out more about how AMH Works can support your organisation, visit our service page.

Let’s make a feelings tree!

Before we start, you’ll need:

• An empty vase, jug or plastic bottle
• A stick with some branches, or a number of small sticks and twigs
• String, clothespegs or paper clips
• Scissors (and a helpful adult to supervise if you are young!)
• A pencil
• Some paper or card – reuse what you have at some, like old birthday cards, newspapers or magazines!
• Felt tip pens

Okay, now we’re ready to begin.

First, arrange the sticks and twigs in your vase or bottle. These will form the branches of your tree.

Take your paper or card, and using your pencil, draw some leaf shapes. Be creative – you can do different sizes and shapes!

Carefully, or with the help of an adult, cut out your leaf shapes.

Take a leaf, and with your felt tip pen, write how you are feeling.

Use the string, peg or clip to attach the leaf to your tree.

Invite others in your home to contribute, and add to your tree throughout the week.

Soon, you will have a feelings tree in full bloom!

It’s so important that all children know who they can turn to when they need help. Children need adults who they can trust will keep them safe.

‘Healthy hand’ is a quick and simple tool to help children (and perhaps adults, too!) identify who they can turn to for help if ever they need it.

Hold your hand out in front of you and stretch your fingers wide.

Count your fingers, and as you do, name someone who you could ask for help if you needed it. (You might want to help the child remember some of the grownups in their life, but don’t be afraid to let them sit in quiet and think for themselves.

For example:

Point to your thumb – that’s one. We can go to Granny for help.

Point to your index finger – that’s two. We can ask our teacher.

Point to your middle finger – that’s number three. We can ask our swimming coach for help.

Point to your ring finger – that’s four. We can go to our neighbour, Mary.

Point to your pinky finger – that’s number five. We can ask the lady who works at the library.

Five fingers makes a helping hand!

If you’re a member of staff in a school and would like to explore more tips and techniques for promoting wellbeing and resilience in children and young people, check out Action Mental Health’s MensSana service. Our experienced and committed team can run a variety of different programmes in your school, catering to pupils of all ages.

One of the simplest things we can do to take care of our minds is BREATHING.

Regular practice of breathing exercises can change the way we think and feel; it can affect our heart rate, lower blood pressure, reduce stress levels and combat anxiety.

Whether it’s taking a few deep breaths to help regulate when a child’s experiencing some big emotions, taking some time to wind down before bed time, to help feel ready for school or just to build some mindful rhythms into your routine, breathing intentionally can really help.

The following activity makes deep and mindful breathing engaging and accessible to young children (although will benefit people of all ages!). This is rainbow breathing.

Make sure you have space around you to stretch your arms out wide and high.

We’re going to imagine that we’re painting a huge rainbow in the sky – and your fingers are the paintbrushes!

Start by stretching your arms out wide to each side of your body – like this:

Perhaps you want to give your fingers a little wiggle to wake them up!

Take a deep, slow breath in, and as you do, raise and curve your arms to make an arch shape – just like a rainbow.

Breathe out slowly, and lower your arms.

That’s our red layer of our rainbow painted – how many other colours shall we do?

Repeat this breathing exercise as many times as is helpful and engaging for your child. You could do seven repetitions, one for every colour of the rainbow. You could simplify it with just their favourite three colours. Or you could draw the activity out, and ask your child to think of as many wacky colours as they can!

(If you’d like to learn more about the positive effects of breathing exercises, we like this episode of Just One Thing with Michael Mosely on BBC Sounds!).

Here at Action Mental Health, we believe that every child matters.

Recent studies show that 1 in 8 children in Northern Ireland experience emotional difficulties.[1] That’s three children in every classroom[2].

These figures are stark. Mental health services have been under-resourced for a long time in Northern Ireland, and too many children and young people aren’t getting the help they need.

But we know that a different story is possible for children and young people. Evidence shows us that empowering children and young people can have a profoundly positive impact on their health and wellbeing. For example, children and young people who feel that their voices are heard, and that what they say makes a difference, have higher levels of self-efficacy and self-esteem.[3] We know that there are so many tools and techniques that can help children look after their minds as well as their bodies – we’re so please that our AMH MensSana team are able to share these tips and techniques with so many children and young people every year.

We’re delighted to be participating in Children’s Mental Health Week 2024, an awareness week launched by Place2Be to empower, equip and give a voice to every child in the UK.

This year’s theme is “My Voice Matters”. Action Mental Health with be joining with others all over the UK to make it clear that we want all children and young people, whoever they are, and wherever they are in the world, to be able to say – and believe – “My Voice Matters”.

Over the course of the week (5-11 February 2024), we’ll be sharing content on our social media channels, all relating to children and young people’s mental health. With videos to watch, activities to enjoy at home, fundraising ideas and content created by our very own Action Mental Health Youth Panel, there will be so much for you to enjoy and get involved with as together we seek to celebrate and amplify the voices of children and young people in Northern Ireland and support their mental health and wellbeing.

We’ve compiled an online library filled with our blogs, videos and activities relating to children and young people’s mental health. You can view that here.

So, follow along and get involved this week – share with your family, your friends, your neighbours, your church, your class, your community group.

Join us in making it loud and clear to children and young people across Northern Ireland that their voice matters. Because every child matters.

[1] Bunting, L., McCartan, C., Davidson, G., Grant, A., McBride, O., Mulholland, C., Murphy, J., Schubotz, D., Cameron, J. & Shevlin, M., (2020). The Mental Health of Children and Parents in Northern Ireland. Belfast: Health & Social Care Board. https:// online.hscni.net/our-work/social-careand-children/youth-wellbeing-prevalencesurvey-2020/ [Accessed January 2024].

[2] Based on an average class size of 25.

[3] Place2Be (2023). Place2Be announces theme for Children’s Mental Health Week 2024. https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/news-and-blogs/2023/october/place2be-announces-theme-for-children-s-mental-health-week-2024/ [Accessed January 2024].

The SkillSET partnership was delighted to welcome guests to a showcase event at The MAC, Belfast on Wednesday 13^th December 2023.

The SkillSET project is funded through the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) which is administered by the Department of Levelling Up Housing & Communities (DLUHC). Representatives from the Department attended the event and had the opportunity to meet and chat with representatives and participants from all seven SkillSET partners.

SkillSET is a disability employment programme providing support to adults with a range of disabilities  delivered by  Action Mental Health, NOW Group, Orchardville Foundation, Cedar Foundation, RNIB, Mencap and Adapt NI. SkillSET supports people with disabilities to build their skills through education, training and access to volunteering, further education and the workplace.

Guests who attended the showcase event included John Osborne (Deputy Director, Levelling Up, Major Programmes), Chris Taylor (Head of UKSPF Northern Ireland) and Emily Shepard (Head of UKSPF for England Scotland & Wales). They were accompanied by other senior UKSPF & DLUHC staff members from across the UK.

The event was hosted by David Babington, Chief Executive of Action Mental Health (SkillSET’s lead partner) and featured presentations from SkillSET participants including Jack Flaherty (NOW) Aaron Meehan (Cedar Foundation) Dave Morton (Orchardville Foundation) and Joanne McMillan (RNIB).

There were also video case studies from Finbarr & Ciaran from Mencap and Caitlin McNamara from Adapt NI.

Many thanks to our partners at the MAC, for providing the venue and helping to make the event such a success.

The SkillSET project is funded by the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) through the Department of Levelling Up Housing & Communities (DLUHC).

For more information on SkillSET, click here