Information for Schools & Colleges
About the journal.
.Dawn is a 306 page illustrated workbook and journal for people in eating disorder recovery. By combining workbook exercises, expert therapeutic advice and the support of a safe online community I hope to provide a space for people to work through difficult emotions.
Each month begins with a goal setting exercise, calling upon the audience to release something negative in their life and replace it with gentle, self-imposed, exposure to the things they fear. This kind of exposure therapy is something I learned about in CBT treatment and helps to break down the strength of the eating disorder over time.
Each month I will also write about possible challenges and the positives that time of year gives, as well as set a challenge that can be shared online for support. Just under half of the pages are used as a daily journal, giving you space to write your thoughts down each day and release any emotions that come up during recovery.
The remaining pages are a mix of worksheet style exercises, therapeutic advice, motivational quotes and silly illustrative posters to keep patients' spirits up in tough times.
In essence, this is the workbook I wish had existed in the depths of my illness.
How could you use the .Dawn workbook?
This journal has been designed to be used and loved. To help you envision how you might use this book I've come up with a few ideas on how you can get the most out of this tool- this is by no means a comprehensive list but I hope it shows you how valuable a hands-on resource like this could be to students in your care.
1. Sell on to students for a 20% profit (detailed below) and use the money in your school as you wish.
2. Have a copy in your libary for students who may be suffering - the anxiety tips and breathing exercises may come in handy for pre-exam nerves.
3. If a student is known to be struggling with an eating disorder the school may want to give a student one of these books to help them cope with their recovery and studies.
5. A workbook would be a lovely and thoughtful gift for anyone in recovery.
6. .Dawn allows your student to continue their healing between medical appointments through self-reflection and relaxing exercises.
What’s in it for you and your students?
For this book to be able to help as many people as possible I would love for it to be able to be used by your students. school, I would love to offer you these workbooks at £15 - Over 20% off the retail price!
You might decide to keep these to use within your premises OR you could sell them on for you patients to use at home.
By selling these books to students at retail price (£18.99) you would be able to keep the difference and use it as you with within school.
On top of this, your students would benefit from the clinically proven benefits of journaling!
Journaling is proven to be an “a highly effective strategy for relieving stress”
I wanted to leave you with a message from one of the many lovely recovery warriors that I have met through creating this book. Thank you for your interest and I hope to hear from you soon!
"Hi! My name is Triss. I am a 28 year old female diagnosed with severe anorexia-restricting type. I have been in hospital and inpatient treatment for my disorder, and through it all, I have found that journaling has been something that has been, and remains, crucial to my recovery.
In journaling, I have been able to put some of the chaos in my mind, that drives my disorder, to rest. Journaling has allowed me to recognize patterns of thoughts and behaviors that have been driving and keeping my eating disorder alive. Writing down my thoughts and keeping a food diary, together, were also a great resource when in therapy or doctors appointments. It gave my team an insight into what I was experiencing. Because of this, I was able to get the help I needed to start my journey toward recovery. It can be so difficult to express our needs to others. Especially out loud, and even more so when we are struggling.
One of the other great aspects about journaling during the Recovery process is looking back and seeing how far you have come. It is so easy to focus on how far we have to go, that seeing how far we have come gets lost. Journalling allows us to stop and celebrate those victories, too.
A journal specifically tailored for eating disorders could, quite literally, save lives. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses. Beyond this journal being a useful resource for patients or people experiencing eating disorders, it can be so useful to treatment facilities and doctors when trying to help treat these illnesses.
This is the journal I wish existed when I was curled up on the floor, with a BMI of 15.5, thinking things would never, ever get better.
This is the journal I wished existed when I was trying so hard to shrink myself into nothing. This is the journal the world needs."
For more information or to order books for a treatment centre please email me at eleanor@dawnrecovery.co.uk
Book a School Visit
I am currently asking schools in the Midlands area if they would allow me to visit an assembly (or video call as COVID-19 allows) to talk to students about eating disorders and body positivity.
Young people between the ages of 14 and 25 are most at risk of developing disordered eating habits. I myself started to develop my eating disorder very young (age 9) but it wasn't until 14 that I became life-threateningly poorly. I've found that talking to teenagers as someone who is close to them in age (I am 20) can really help them to feel more engaged, hopefully planting some positive ideas that might have been ignored if presented by a medical professional.
COVID-19 has meant that many eating disorders have gone unnoticed - schools that once may have raised alarm bells stayed closed and a lack of routine can often mean that students go without meals or exercise to excess. To add to this with the new government guidelines promoting weight loss completely disregards those with eating disorders and are potentially very triggering.
Eating disorders are sneaky - many children and teenagers will go months or even years before telling anyone how they are feeling. I am not expecting anyone to come out of an assembly ready to admit that they are struggling, however, if talking openly about my experience resonates with anyone present, which statistically is very likely, it might encourage them to get medical help or reach out for support.
For people who never have to experience an eating disorder the whole notion of restricting food or binging can seem alien or weird. My hope is that by talking to your students I will open their eyes and help them to be more understanding towards people who struggle, allowing them to see how the culture we live in creates our reality rather than it being a result of personal weakness.
For those who wish to know more, or engage with recovery content I have an Instagram @dawnrecoveryjournal where I post helpful videos, blog posts and recovery positive content.
To arrange a visit please email me at eleanor@dawnrecovery.co.uk
