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Combat Low Mood, Anxiety And Stress By Participating In Living Life To The Full Course
Cornerstone House Centre is now recruiting participants for a new and socially-distanced delivery of the popular and nationally recognised personal development course Living Life to the Full, commencing this month.
Living Life to the Full is an award-winning course that provides participants with key knowledge in how to develop skills to tackle feelings of low mood, stress and distress arising from work, parenting, relationships and other aspects of life. It involves Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and locally the programme has been highly successful in achieving a range of positive outcomes and impacts for participants.
The course is free of charge and will incorporate 12 hours of learning over a period of eight sessions. The first session will be on Wednesday 18 August 2021 from 11.00am-12.30pm at Cornerstone House (1 Esk Walk, Town Centre, Cumbernauld, G67 1BZ), with 90-minute sessions taking place at the same time and venue every Wednesday thereafter for a total of eight weeks.
Participants do not require any particular skills, knowledge or information before joining the course, and sessions are very informal and discursive-based. Participants will receive a range of free resources and materials each week of their attendance. Mary McNeil, Development Manager at Cornerstone House Centre, said:
“Despite the current challenges of delivering face-to-face courses, Cornerstone House Centre is delighted to be in a position to roll out its first delivery of Living Life to the Full of 2021, with participation enquiries from individuals and referral agencies being welcomed.
“Over the past four years, the course has significantly benefited hundreds of citizens of Greater Cumbernauld. In particular, it has greatly helped those with psychological problems, including those dealing with depression (including post-natal depression), anxiety and stress-related conditions.
“Encouragingly, previous Living Life to the Full participants reported that they felt better equipped and more able to cope with challenging life and family circumstances following the programme.
“Course beneficiaries also highlighted that they had increased awareness and understanding of their own mental health and triggers for low mood, and they believed that they could relate more compassionately and effectively with the life issues of others.
“Individuals who join the course this time round can be assured that stringent health and safety measures are in place within the Cornerstone House building and in the room where the training takes place in relation to coronavirus (COVID-19).
“This includes Perspex screens at reception and other areas where Centre staff and volunteers are operating, a number of hand sanitising stations and a controlled one-way walking system within the facility.
“Numbers of participants have been tailored to ensure that social distancing can be maintained at all times during the course. Full information on safety measures for participants will be communicated upon initial contact.”
Living Life to the Full is the ideal course for people who recognise that mental health challenges are having a variety of negative effects on their lives, including unemployment, a lack of confidence and motivation, an inability to concentrate, difficulties in trusting people, an inability to make or sustain friendships, and feelings of isolation, frustration and anxiety.
Weekly sessions incorporate various targeted mood and stress-related subject areas, including ‘Why do I feel so bad?’, ‘How to fix almost everything’ and ’10 things you can do to feel happier straight away’. The course is delivered in a friendly, empathetic and non-clinical way, and participants are never put on the spot or compelled to speak in front of others unless they choose to do so.
Course completers during 2019-20 reported meeting new people, being able to talk about how they feel and learning new skills as the main benefits of taking part.
Cornerstone House Centre has found that facilitating Living Life to the Full has helped create bonds between people facing similar problems and built bridges that assist understanding and interaction with other kinds of people. It has also helped participants to set goals and promote confidence that their goals can be achieved.
The organisation coordinates Living Life to the Full as part of its Cumbernauld Family Hub, an initiative supported by The National Lottery Community Fund. The Family Hub was established in 2017 as a fresh and innovative family support resource that covers a multitude of activities, creating interesting and unique personal development opportunities for local families. Cornerstone House Centre’s Living Life to the Full portfolio is also supported by Corra Foundation.
Five Areas Ltd, the national accreditation body for Living Life to the Full, recognises Cornerstone House Centre as a fully verified provider of the programme. In this respect, the organisation can be engaged by a range of groups and service providers – including communities, statutory bodies, voluntary sector organisations, schools and mental health services – to deliver customised packages of the course.
If you would be interested in participating in Living Life to the Full, or would like to refer a client who may be keen to sign up, please contact Cornerstone House Centre on 01236 739220 or email familyhub@cornerstone-house.org.uk.
