Growing a sense of self

What does wellbeing mean to you? How do we apply that to our lives every day?

Would you know what to do when things become more challenging?

 

During this practical, two-session course, you will be formulating your own set of action plans which will focus on positive steps that you can take to protect your wellbeing through life’s ups and downs.

 

You will first focus on what being well means to you and what you can do to maintain this every day. Then, you will take the time to devise plans around your own early warning signs of becoming unwell, and the triggers that can bring up uncomfortable experiences.

 

In the second session, you will concentrate on how to support yourself if your health becomes more challenging; looking at plans which cover breaking down, crisis and your post-crisis recovery journey.

 

You will finish the course with a collection of helpful action plans which you can use to maintain a positive sense of wellbeing and help you make the most of each day!

 

Please book your place on this course no less than a week in advance to ensure you receive your personal plan paperwork in the post in good time.

1 day / 2 sessions

Do you often have lots of thoughts swirling around your head? 

Do you sometimes get stuck on the same unhelpful thought? 

 

This session will explore ways in which we can better manage our worrying thoughts by providing both short and long term tips and techniques we can use in the moment when we notice we are becoming hooked on worrying thinking. 

1 Session

Feeling fed up?

Want things to change, but not sure where to start?

 

This 2-session course will help us be more successful in making positive changes by exploring the different stages of change and how we can maximise our chances of success at each stage, examining what is really important in our lives and linking this to the change we want to make. We will explore the circles of change and recognise what is within our control, imagining ourselves making the change and identifying people that can support us on this journey.

2 Sessions

Do you want to explore your creative identity?

Would you like to unlock your artistic side?

 

In this three-session course, you will discover the advantages of creativity for your wellbeing and explore what creativity means to you. You will then have time to experiment with a range of activities designed to inspire your creative flow, before creating something to enrich your personal wellbeing.

 

We will be joined by peers with a variety of expertise sharing their passions and allowing you to participate in a range of different expressive activities. At the end of the course, you will have the chance to reflect on your creative journey and have the option of showcasing your finished product.

3 Sessions

Have you recently been diagnosed with a physical or mental health condition?

Are you unsure what your next moves could be?

 

A diagnosis can have a variety of pros and cons, but, either way, you may be hesitant to move forward until you’ve got all the facts. This course aims to empower you following a diagnosis by giving you the opportunity to explore your initial feelings, find out about support available, and take control of your prognosis. We will consider how your diagnosis may shift your sense of identity and give you some tips about how to feel confident in making the decision to disclose your diagnosis.

 

Having been diagnosed, people may feel lost, confused and worried, or, relieved, understood and validated. Whatever you’re feeling, this course is a space for you to explore your next steps. Come along and help break the stigma of diagnoses!

1 Session

Do you want to explore what emotions are and why we experience them?

What is the connection between our emotions, our thoughts, our behaviours and our bodily sensations?

 

Within this session we will explore the variety of ways in which people experience diverse emotions, discover the purpose of uncomfortable emotions, and look at some helpful tools and techniques that we can use to navigate our emotional range.

1 Session

How motivated do you feel?

What is getting in the way of your mojo?

 

Motivation is essential to getting anything done. However, as can happen to anyone, we sometimes find our motivation is lacking. It is very easy for pleasurable activities to become chores and we can easily procrastinate our time away.

 

In this course, we will explore a wide range of methods to stimulate our motivation, consider the benefits of structured goal setting and plan what you can do when barriers to your motivation get in the way.

1 day / 2 sessions

Do you ever feel like you’re talking a different language to most?  

Do you often get frustrated that you’re not being heard?  

Communication is one of the most complicated things we do in life, yet how often do we explore how we do this?  

 

In this two-part session we will look at how effective communication can occur, potential barriers to communicate and most importantly ways we can communicate in an assertive way ensuring we feel heard and valued.   

2 Sessions

What do you have in common with a cup that the more you fill it the less you have? 

  

What do you have in common with Socrates, Lao Tzu, Buddhist monks and many other ancient philosophers?  

 

Who knows?  

 

Attending this session means that you share the same spark for questioning, the same curiosity and the same willingness to find your own balance through little everyday things that will lead to a better life. 

1 session

Are you feeling confused with all the different nutritional advice and messages coming through the media?

Would you like to explore the relationship between what we eat and how we feel?

 

If so, this course might be just for you!

 

Food is a vital part of our lives - it is not only a source of energy, but also a source of enjoyment, a way to be creative and an opportunity to connect, share and bring people together.

 

In this two-session course we will be exploring what healthy eating means to us personally, how our food choices can affect our mood and vice versa and try to ‘myth-bust’ some common nutritional myths to allow us to make informed and helpful food choices.

 

We will be discussing and growing our awareness around how our thoughts and feelings can influence our food choices. By the end of the session, we hope to have explored a variety of topics which will enable you to create a better relationship with food linking its impact on our wellbeing.

2 Sessions

Do you give yourself a hard time?

How often do you show yourself kindness?

Would you speak to your friends the way you speak to yourself?

 

This two-session course will consider how life gets in the way of being kind to ourselves and will help us recognise that we are often quicker to look after others’ needs instead of our own. During this course, you will practice several ways to enhance your ability to be self-compassionate, including looking at the difference between recharging and relaxation, and developing your selfcare routine.

 

After all ‘self-care is giving the world the best of you, not what’s left of you.’

2 Sessions

Who are you?

Did you find it difficult to answer that question?

 

In this 2-session course, you will have the opportunity to examine how you see yourself and reflect on influences of your identity over the years. It is easy to be influenced by society and compare ourselves to others, but we don’t often have the chance to consider who we are for ourselves.

 

This course will use a range of techniques so that you can explore your identity in a practical way and share this with others if you feel comfortable to do so. Join this course to identify who you are, as well as who you want to be.

 

 

2 Sessions

Do you ever want to stop and just… breathe?

Life can be tough when we are facing our own health challenges; we might experience our minds being filled with worrying thoughts and self-criticism.

Mindfulness can give you the time to pause and see things differently. Becoming mindful allows you the space to really be in the present moment.

This three-session course provides the opportunity to think about how mindfulness can be useful in our day to day lives and gives you the opportunity to experiment with a wide variety of mindfulness techniques to find what might be right for you… it’s not all about guided breathing tracks!

3 Sessions

How much do we value, appreciate, respect or like ourselves?

Where do those opinions about ourselves come from? And, more importantly, what can we do about it now that we are older and wiser?

 

This course explores the experiences that have shaped our lives and our view of our own self-worth. We clarify the difference between facts and opinions and unlock the way that our mind processes these.

Acknowledging and growing our self-worth can take time and be challenging, but there are techniques we can use to build up these feelings step-by-step and gradually chip away at those old, unhelpful core beliefs from our past!

1 Session

How connected do you feel to others?

Do you struggle to spend quality time on your own?

 

We know that learning to enjoy your own company is a key step in reducing the feeling of loneliness. In addition, connecting with community activities can help us develop a sense of belonging within society.

 

During this two-session course, we will look at reasons why levels of loneliness are increasing, despite us having more ways than ever to stay connected. We will discover methods that we can actively use to help ourselves feel less lonely and work towards developing plans in your individual workbooks. Moving forwards, you will have the tools to start enjoying life both with, or without others.

2 Sessions

Are you struggling to find hope?  

Do you feel stuck and wonder how you can move forward in life?  

Would you like to grow within and beyond your life challenges?   

 

This course introduces and explores the Kawa Model, a visual tool created by Dr Michael Iwama. In the model, the river represents our life’s journey. Throughout life we all meet barriers that can impact the flow of our rivers.   

 This session seeks to help us identify our own strengths and ways to keep our rivers moving forward towards a more meaningful and manageable life.   

1 Session

Have you ever thought about what gives your life meaning and purpose?

What are the ways in which we can express our spirituality and how can this support our wellbeing?

 

This session will give you the opportunity to learn about spirituality and the role it can play in helping us to live a meaningful life. It will give you the chance to explore what spirituality means to you by use of group discussion and various techniques. Whilst we look at the differences and similarities between spirituality and religion, we will not be promoting any particular belief system.

 

1 Session

Did you know we actually have 8 senses?

Have you ever thought about how your senses affect your emotions?

 

In this interactive workshop, you will learn about our different senses, some that you may be already aware of, such as sight and smell, and others that you may not have heard about! The group will explore the link between our senses and how we feel, and the impact this has on our wellbeing. Taking a hands-on approach, you will have the opportunity to experiment with a range of sensory-based activities and objects to explore what works for you. You will leave the session with ideas on how to create and use your own sensory toolkit, which can support your wellbeing.

2 Sessions

Are you tired of being told to ‘man up!’ when you express emotion?

Or do you feel like you should be bottling emotions up and helping others instead?

 

There is so much stigma surrounding men’s mental health that it can be difficult to reach out to support networks and loved ones when you are facing life’s challenges.

 

In this course, we will explore the effects of how we learn to be a man on societal stigma and what crisis point can look like for men as a result of this, as well as ways to manage unhelpful thoughts and feelings.

 

With male suicide rates higher than that of women’s, it is so important to understand how we can all make a difference in supporting men’s emotional health.

1 Session

Have you thought about how movement can improve your wellbeing?

 

Do you want to discover how mindful movement fits into your daily routine?

 

This session aims to explore the benefits of movement to our health and discover ways in which we can overcome barriers to movement. We will identify ways we can build and sustain movement within our daily routine to support our wellbeing.

1 Session

How has your journey led you to where you are today?

How could sharing your story encourage you to recognise your own strength and resilience?

 

Sharing your story using your own words and voice can be an empowering and hopeful way of taking ownership of your recovery. This process can help us to challenge our own self beliefs and allow us to accept, express and celebrate who we are.

 

Throughout the course you will reflect on your reasons for wanting to share your story. We will discover how to reframe our story by pulling out the positives to make it hope and strengths focussed as well as considering how this can impact our self-esteem.

 

In the final session, you will share your recovery journey using a medium of your choice, alongside peer tutors who will role-model sharing their story and expressing the benefit of this process.

3 Sessions

Do you put excessive pressure on yourself to perform to an extremely high standard?

Are you comfortable when things are ‘good enough’?

 

We will explore why it is important to us for things to be ‘perfect’ and understand that this can be the first step towards learning to how manage perfectionism.

We will then consider ways that can help us to promote change in our behaviours by understanding what perfectionism is, discovering how it can impact on our lives, and exploring ways we can adjust our standards to help us live well.

 

Please book your place on this course no less than a week in advance to ensure you receive your paperwork in the post in good time.

3 Sessions

“Where words fail, music speaks…” – Hans Christian Anderson

 

Are you ‘lost in music’?

Can you feel the beat?

Are you in the mood for dancing?

 

This two-session course explores how we all experience music, rhythm and sound in a totally unique way. We will uncover the science behind how our music choice impacts our mood and how our mood impacts our music. Can you hear the rhythm in that?!

 

You will also have the opportunity to share two of your most meaningful pieces of music and express what emotions they arouse in you. We will then look at how we can proactively use music, rhythm and sound to promote positive wellbeing in our daily lives.

1 day / 2 sessions

 

How do you structure your time?

Do you feel that there’s never enough hours in the day? or… Are you struggling to know what to fill your day with?

 

In this course, we will explore ways to build healthy habits and realistic routines into your daily life. This will help you become more productive, manage your time better, and feel more on top of things.

 

Whether you’re juggling a work/life balance with family responsibilities or trying to create a new routine after a change in life, this course could be for you!

1 session

Are you perfectly happy with your life?

 

Are you doing the things that are really important to you?

 

Or do you sometimes struggle, feeling stressed or overwhelmed?

 

This 4-session course introduces Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), a different approach to handling the stresses and challenges of life.

 

We’ll explore the basic principles of ACT and offer practical exercises and guidance to help us apply these ideas to our everyday lives.

 

‘Wake up!’ is about learning to become more aware of the present moment, rather than worrying about the future or dwelling on the past.

It will explore how we can use mindfulness skills to become more aware of and observe our thoughts and emotions without becoming entangled in them.

 

‘Open up!’ is about getting unstuck from difficult thoughts or unpleasant emotions and learning to accept them so that they come and go. It’s not about feeling better, but rather to get better at feeling.

 

‘Step up!’ is about recognising what’s really important in our lives and actively working towards our goals.

 

These 3 elements together enable us to live a richer and more meaningful life.

 

Please note:

1. This course is not a substitute for individual psychological therapy.
2. Students need to commit to attending all 4 sessions.

 

Students are actively encouraged to complete additional individual learning activities between sessions.

4 Sessions

Have you ever wondered what recovery actually means?

Would you like to explore what your personal recovery journey could look like?

 

This course outlines the growing alternative to the ‘medical model’ of recovery, exploring this idea through a holistic, person-centred approach.

We will discover the connection between physical and mental health, share strategies for promoting personal recovery, and examine ways to live well mentally, physically and socially, to support your wellbeing.

 

1 Session

Do you enjoy writing creatively and want to hone your skills?

Thinking about keeping a journal, but don’t know where or how to start?

Maybe you’re an avid reader, or have a passion for writing song lyrics?

 

We can use the written word in a huge variety of ways as a tool to support our wellbeing. Most of us are probably already accessing words to do just that without even realising it.

In this to be 4 session course, we will not only have the opportunity to try out different creative writing techniques in a range of formats, but will also explore multiple styles of journaling and the benefits reading for pleasure can have on our wellbeing.

 

If you’ve ever attended our previous course, ‘Creative writing for wellbeing’, we’d recommend giving Words & Wellbeing a try – we don’t think of it as a replacement, it’s an upgrade!

1 Session