Workshops and Courses

different size pebbles in a tower

Workshops

 

Skills for Life Workshops 2023-24

Procrastination to Productivity

The Problem of Perfectionism - Healthy striving versus staying stuck

  • Are you your own worst critic? 
  • Do you feel paralysed by the demands of your course? 
  • Do you focus only on your mistakes?

Many of us put off important tasks and end up rushing towards (or missing) deadlines and we just don’t know why. Why can’t we just ‘get it done’? The reasons for and methods we use to procrastinate are often varied and individual. There is no straightforward answer, but this workshop aims to give you the space to begin to understand the causes of procrastination and learn practical ways to address these behaviours.

Upcoming dates:

  • Wednesday 6th November 12.30 - 2.00pm

       Registration opening soon.

Introduction to Self-Compassion

Do you find yourself experiencing high levels of self-criticism and blame yourself for things that are not your fault? Do you regularly compare yourself to others and experience low self-esteem? Research has demonstrated that developing self-compassion can improve emotional wellbeing, enhance your ability to cope with life challenges and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. This workshop introduces the ideas and approaches of Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), developed by Professor Paul Gilbert. We will explore common fears and blocks to self-compassion and introduce some simple ways of cultivating a more compassionate relationship with ourselves.

Upcoming dates:

  • Wednesday 13th November 12.30 - 2.30pm       

      Registration opening soon.

Overcoming Perfectionism

This workshop may be useful to you if you often feel paralysed by the standards you feel you cannot attain.   

The reasons for our perfectionism are varied and individual.  In this workshop we will explore the types of perfectionism and compare healthy striving versus staying stuck.  We will discuss the beliefs associated with perfectionism and develop a personalised toolbox of strategies that you can take away to support you in your studies.

Upcoming dates: 

  • Thursday 21st November 12.30-2.30pm       

      Registration opening soon.

Relationship Workshop

Feeling Connected: Authenticity, Communication, and Relationships 

Friendships, romantic relations, relationships with an authority or family member, or the relationship we have with ourselves, all form a crucial part of life at university. We invite you to explore this topic at our workshop aimed to help you understand and relate to others with awareness, openness, and trust.

What does it mean to feel truly connected to others?

How can you be yourself and at the same time, consider the needs of others?

Are relationships a source of joy and support or do they feel too difficult to navigate?

Are you feeling isolated when people around you seem to enjoy being together?

Join us to consider cultural issues, attachment styles, effective communication skills and boundary setting.

Upcoming dates:

  • Friday 29th November 12.00 - 2.00pm

       Registration opening soon.         

Sleep Well

Difficulty falling asleep? Waking in the night? Regularly getting less sleep than you need? If lack of sleep is affecting your health and wellbeing or your ability to study, then this may be the workshop for you. This workshop will provide students with general knowledge on the biology of sleep and will aim to help students increase their understanding of why they may be struggling with sleep as well as learn more about sleep hygiene and ways to improve sleep using practical techniques.

Upcoming dates:

  • Thursday 5th December 12.30 - 14.00          

Register here

Stress Less for Exam Success

Are you feeling stressed regarding your exams and have difficulties concentrating and relaxing? Well, this webinar might be the right one for you. In this one-hour webinar which you can watch on your own time, we will focus on the negative impact of stress and anxiety, and understand how this can impact revision and performance in exams. We will discuss ways to improve your study routine and reduce your level of stress to help you feel more prepared for exams.

There will be a live Question & Answer session at the end of the July, so we encourage you to send in all your questions beforehand via the comments section on YouTube or you can also ask during our live Q&A. Please note these can be sent in anonymously during the Q&A.

Important dates:

During the month of December - watch our Stress Less for Exam Success informational video

Followed by a Live Q&A session - Dates TBD

Courses

 

Mood Boost

The Student Counselling & Mental Health Advice Service will be running our Mood Boost course again this academic year.

This 4-week course is designed for people who experience low mood and would like to learn techniques to manage it better, whilst connecting with otherhand holding daisies students who are experiencing similar challenges. 

The Mood Boost course is an opportunity to learn new skills and tools which you can use to feel happier, more relaxed and confident, and less sad, irritated, or worried. The course includes information about low mood, how to set realistic goals, ways to get a better balance of activities in your life, ways to manage unhelpful thoughts, and how to improve your general wellbeing. 

The course is based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which is an effective evidence-based intervention for low mood and will be led by two of our Student Counsellors.

This is a 4-week course and participants will need to commit to attending all four sessions in order to fully benefit from and complete the course. If you are unable to attend all 4 dates listed below, please wait until the next course is delivered.

What students are saying:

‘The two instructors are lovely, calm, open to answering all questions and very comforting’

‘Hearing everyone’s experiences really did make me feel like I’m not alone’

‘I always knew I wasn’t the only one struggling with low mood at Imperial, but there’s a big difference between knowing that you’re not alone and feeling like you’re not alone’

Mood Boost Course Dates

Autumn 2024 term dates:

  • Tuesday 22nd October
  • Tuesday 29th October
  • Tuesday 5th November
  • Tuesday 12th November

All sessions will run from 12:15 - 13:45pm in person.

Register here.

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction; 4-week bespoke course

This 4 week bespoke course is aimed at decreasing stress, anxiety, pain and low mood; combining both Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. This course will help you develop a daily Mindfulness practice. Evidence suggests MBSR can increase resilience and creativity, improve relationships and communication. Studies also evidence an improvement in health, well-being, self-esteem, sleep, concentration and memory.

In this course, we will learn to turn towards difficult feelings and aspects of experience, accepting and befriending them, rather than turning away from them. We will aim to recognise how we habitually avoid unwanted emotions, becoming self-critical and judgemental, and instead begin to embrace, accept and welcome our experience with compassion and interest. 

The course is experiential, and will help you get into your body, recognise your thoughts and feelings, learn to regulate your nervous system, increase resilience and reduce shame, suffering and disconnection. We will distinguish between nourishing and depleting activities and begin making conscious choices, so that you are best prepared to look after yourself.

This is a 4-week course and participants will need to commit to attending all four sessions in order to fully benefit from the course as each session builds on the previous session. If you are unable to attend all 4 dates listed below, please wait until the next course is next delivered.

What students are saying:

'Couldn't live without the knowledge and skills gained on this course. Every student and person I wish could be blessed with this course'

 'I feel more confident about my life and the future (because I can find inner peace and with that I can deal with whatever happens), I can study even though things do not go well because I don’t panic but take a deep breath and just continue without getting caught up in thoughts'

 'It was an eye opening experience. It was very helpful in providing me with tools and resources to deal with stress in my PhD and life.'

Course dates

Upcoming course dates:

Autumn Term 2024

Please note attendance at all sessions will be required for those who are accepted onto the course - all sessions run from 12:00-13:45: 

  • Tuesday 19th November
  • Tuesday 26th November
  • Tuesday 3rd December                    
  • Tuesday 10th December   

Registration will open at the end of September.

Spring Term 2025

Dates tbc