The group ran for 6 weeks and included a mix of practical and theory-based activities. One of the most popular activities was painting masks to help them understand how they might present themselves differently to others or how others might view them compared to how they see themselves. The outside of the masks represented how they present themselves to others while the inside represented how they viewed themselves.

The aim of the activity was to think about self-esteem/confidence and all the girls went on to report an improvement in this area at the end of the 6 week course. Another popular activity was a visual experiment showing how negative thoughts can affect our whole well-being and overwhelm our brains. Using a bowl, food colouring and water we demonstrated that water (positive thoughts) could easily be changed with even the smallest drop of food colouring (negative thoughts). Once the water was completely orange it was difficult to see any positives. Taking it in turns the girls came up with positive thoughts adding water back into the bowl. Eventually the water became clear again showing that negative thoughts can be beaten and overcome by thinking positively. This was something the girls found hugely beneficial, and all reported an improvement over the 6-week period in practicing self-care/being kind to themselves.

Feedback from the group also showed how much the girls got out of the group, “It’s helped my confidence, I feel more open to talk to people when I’m struggling”, “It was amazing”, “It has helped me meet and learn about people”, “It has been good for me, and it was fun and boosted my confidence”.

It is hoped that this type of groupwork can be offered in the future to a range of different groups and schools to encourage and promote good mental health and well-being in young people, enabling us to provide more targeted early intervention and prevention supports.