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The Wattle Project, Trundle (2026)

15/12/2025

Day 11: You don’t need to put so much pressure on yourself

This time of year can come with a lot of pressure — to show up, to cope, to enjoy it, to hold everything together.

If things feel heavy, try to gently loosen the expectations you’re carrying.

That might mean:
• taking short breaks from social gatherings
• having a trusted person you can check in with regularly for support
• keeping some familiar routines where you can, such as regular meal times or consistent wake and sleep times
• giving yourself permission to rest
• respectfully changing the subject or stepping away if conversations around food, dieting or bodies come up
• trying grounding practices like mindfulness, journaling, or listening to music to help quiet the mind

And if you’re caring for someone who is struggling, support doesn’t have to be complicated.

Helpful care can look like:
• letting them know they can come to you for support or just a chat — and when they do, listening without trying to fix or minimise. Their feelings are valid and real.
• avoiding comments about food, weight or appearance. If you’re hosting and know these topics may come up, you can respectfully and privately ask others to avoid them (you don’t need to explain why).
• being flexible with plans and expectations, and giving your loved one space when they need it
• reminding them they don’t owe anyone explanations
• having gentle conversations ahead of gatherings about meals or food options if that feels helpful — focusing on reducing stress rather than pressure. But remember we want the focus to be on the occasion and enjoying themselves not the food.

Reducing pressure, on ourselves and on each other, can make this season feel a little safer.

💛 The Wattle Project

❤️💜

14/12/2025

Christmas doesn’t feel the same for everyone.

For some, it’s joyful and connecting.
For others, it brings pressure, around food, bodies, social gatherings, expectations and changing routines.

If this time of year feels complicated or overwhelming for you, there is nothing wrong with you.
If you are caring for someone struggling with this time of year, you don’t have to go it alone.

If you’re navigating an eating disorders or body image struggles, or supporting someone who is, this season can feel especially heavy and overwhelming.

In the lead up to Christmas, I’ll be sharing 12 Gentle Days of Christmas — daily support from The Wattle Project.
All based on my own real world lived experiences.

This series isn’t about rules or advice you have to follow.
It’s simply a place to pause each day, to feel less alone, to find language, and to be reminded that there’s no “right” way to get through this time of year.

You’re welcome to read quietly.
Save what resonates.
Or share with someone who might need a little extra support this season.

We’ll take this one day at a time 💛
— The Wattle Project

14/12/2025

Hello again 💛

It’s been a little quiet here, so I wanted to re-introduce myself and this space.

I’m Sally, founder of The Wattle Project, a rural, lived-experience-led initiative focused on body image and eating disorder awareness in regional and rural communities.

Sometimes progress happens quietly behind the scenes, and that’s where I’ve been for a while. Learning, listening and laying foundations.

If this space resonates with you, I invite you to stay, follow along, or quietly share this page with someone who might need it.

I’m looking forward to sharing more again soon 💛

❤️💜

05/09/2025

We Need Your Support!

The Wattle Project is just getting started but we can’t do it without our community behind us. 💛

We’re on a mission to:
✨ Break the silence and stigma around eating disorders
✨ Provide education and resources for rural communities
✨ Build stronger, more supportive networks where no one feels alone in their struggle

Here’s how YOU can help right now:
💛Follow our page to stay up to date
💛Share our posts to spread the word and start conversations
💛Volunteer your time or skills, from joining our committee to helping with events, admin, or community outreach
💛 Partner with us, we’re looking for schools, organisations, and community groups who want to collaborate
💛 Offer support in-kind, whether it’s design, professional expertise, or other resources

Every small action helps us grow and together, we can create real change for rural Australians living with or impacted by eating disorders 💛

25/08/2025

💛 Website is live 💛

The Wattle Project is proud to announce the launch of the very first version of our website! 💻💛

Our mission has always been simple but powerful: to break the silence around eating disorders in rural and regional Australia. This first stage of our website is a big step forward in making that mission a reality and there’s so much more still to come.

This is just the beginning. Over the coming months we’ll be adding:
🌿 More information and resources on eating disorders tailored for rural communities
🌿 Updates on our workshops and events
🌿 More ways to get involved, volunteer, or partner with us

This platform is built on lived experience, and it’s here for young people, families, carers, educators, and communities who too often feel isolated or unsure where to turn.

👉 Visit us now at www.thewattleproject.org
👉 Share with your friends, family, and community to help us spread the word

Together, we can create communities where silence is replaced with understanding, support, and hope. 💛

❤️💜

22/07/2025

💛 We need YOUR voice!

We’re applying for a grant to launch The Wattle Project’s Online Hub, a space designed for young people, parents, carers & teachers in rural areas to access eating disorder info, resources, and support services tailored for rural life.

We’ll also train young ambassadors across NSW to deliver workshops, speak at local events, and drive change in their communities.

If you’re under 30 and believe in rural mental health, youth leadership, or better support for eating disorders…We’d LOVE a short message of support from you!

A quick DM, comment or email by Sunday 27th July is all we need. I can even send you a template.

Your words will help us break the silence on eating disorders in rural Australia 💛

18/06/2025

Feeling Out of Control 💛
For many young people in rural area especially those on farms life can feel unpredictable.

Right now, families in parts of SA, VIC, and NSW are facing severe drought, while others in Northern NSW and QLD are still recovering from floods.

These challenges can create deep stress. And when life feels out of control, some young people may try to take control in harmful ways through food, exercise, or their bodies. This can be a pathway to an eating disorder.

💛 Why it matters:
• These risks often go unnoticed in the bush.
• Eating disorders are complex and can be triggered by a lack of control.
• Awareness and early support can save lives.

💛 Look for:
• Withdrawal, anxiety, fixation on food/body, perfectionism.

💛 How to help:
• Start conversations, encourage coping tools, connect with support services.

Let’s break the silence and support rural youth with compassion and understanding.💛

07/06/2025

💛 Just a gentle reminder…

Mental health doesn’t have a postcode.
You can be surrounded by paddocks, people, or peace and still be struggling.
You don’t have to “look” unwell to need support.
And you don’t have to wait until it’s a crisis to reach out.

If today feels heavy, take it slow.
If your mind feels loud, you’re not alone.
If you need help, that’s okay, it’s strong, not weak, to ask for it.

At The Wattle Project, we’re working to make sure rural Australians feel seen, supported, and heard when it comes to mental health and eating disorders.
You matter. Your story matters. And there is support out there even if it doesn’t always feel like it.

💛 Save this. Share it. Or send it to someone who might need the reminder today.

Need support? You’re not alone. Reach out:
📞 Butterfly Foundation: 1800 33 4673 – eating disorder & body image support (8am–midnight AEST)
📞 Lifeline: 13 11 14 – 24/7 crisis support
📞 Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 – mental health support
📞 Headspace: headspace.org.au – for young people 12–25
📞 Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 – for anyone aged 5–25

02/06/2025

Today is World Eating Disorders Action Day 💛

Every day, but especially today, we shine a light on the reality of eating disorders, illnesses that are real, complex, and life-threatening, yet still too often misunderstood, dismissed, or hidden in silence.

In rural and regional Australia, that silence can feel even louder.

Stigma and shame are the most frequently identified barriers to people accessing eating disorder treatment.
Pair that with the lack of support services and understanding in rural areas, and we have a crisis that is costing lives.

At The Wattle Project, we’re working to change this.

🌾 We’re raising awareness.
🌾 We’re educating our communities.
🌾 We’re creating safe, informed spaces for people to learn, share, and seek help.
🌾 We’re advocating for more support services in rural Australia

But we can’t do it alone.

On this World Eating Disorders Action Day, you can take action by supporting our work:

✅ Follow us and share this post
✅ Consider partnering with us, joining our board or volunteering
✅ Start a conversation at your home, school or work
✅ Consider having us present at your school, community group or event

💛 If you’ve experienced an eating disorder, supported someone who has, or lost someone to one we see you. Your voice matters.

Learn more, get involved, or support the work we’re doing 💛

01/06/2025

“They looked fine to me…”
How many times have you heard that?

The truth is, eating disorders don’t always look like what we expect.
They don’t always mean weight loss.
They don’t always mean food refusal.
They don’t always scream for help.

But they’re there. Quiet. Hidden. Growing.
And often, they’re missed until they’ve taken a deep hold, especially in rural communities where access to support is limited or non existent.

That’s why The Wattle Project is working to bring early intervention tools, school workshops, and practical education to rural Australia. Because:
💛 Spotting the signs early saves lives.
💛 Every teacher, parent, friend, coach, and classmate can be part of the safety net
💛 Everyone deserves support, understanding, and hope regardless of where they live

🧠 Did you know? Only 1 in 4 people with an eating disorder is underweight which means most people don’t ‘look’ like they have one. We need to bust misconceptions like this that are so common and create the awareness, understanding and support that is so desperately needed.

(Source: National Eating Disorders Collaboration)

Want to learn more or get involved? We’d love to hear from you.

31/05/2025

The more I talk about The Wattle Project and the work I’m aiming to do, the more people open up.

“I had an eating disorder.”
“My brother went undiagnosed for many years”
“I lost a friend to an eating disorder”

These aren’t rare stories, they’re everywhere. Hidden in silence, wrapped in shame, especially in rural communities where support is scarce and stigma runs deep.

The Wattle Project was created to change that.
We’re working to:
💛 Educate schools, families, and communities
💛 Break the stigma around eating disorders and body image
💛 Advocate for services in rural, regional and remote areas
💛 Make sure no one feels invisible and unsupported because of where they live

Because in the bush, we’re no strangers to doing things tough but when it comes to mental health, we shouldn’t have to go it alone.

💛 Rural people deserve awareness.
💛 Rural people deserve access to care.
💛 Rural people deserve recovery, too.

Let’s break the silence on eating disorders in rural Australia 💛

26/05/2025

The more I talk about The Wattle Project and why I started this, the more I hear: “I’ve been through that too” or “my friend had an eating disorder” or “it took my brother years to get help”.

A friend. A neighbour. A loved one.
Someone who struggled silently.
Someone who didn’t survive.
All genders, ages, backgrounds and cultures are affected.

Eating disorders are far more common than most people realise but still so misunderstood, stigmatised, and under-resourced, especially in rural and regional areas.

Every conversation I’ve had lately has reminded me why this work matters. Behind every story is a person who deserved support, understanding, and care.
The future of this project is for people who will face similar or worse of what I faced, stigma, no support, no understanding, no medical services.

The Wattle Project is here to change the narrative, to raise awareness, create education, and push for better support systems for people living in the bush.

If this hits home for you, know you’re not alone. And if you want to be part of the change, we’d love to hear from you.

❤️💜

The Wattle Project

15/12/2025

14/12/2025

14/12/2025

05/09/2025

25/08/2025

22/07/2025

18/06/2025

07/06/2025

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31/05/2025

26/05/2025

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