Did you learn anything new during lockdown? While half of the country was taking up hula hooping and learning to grow their own grub, the other half of us were just plodding along, trying to make it through. Hands up if you were in the latter half?
I’m definitely among those who feel a little bit guilty that they haven’t done more with this magical (if unwanted) gift of extra time that ‘rona gave us. I didn’t become fluent in Spanish, definitely didn’t take up cross-stitching and I certainly didn’t use lockdown to get abs.
If like me, you’ve just been busy trying to mentally and physically get through this year, September’s Festival of Learning could be an opportunity to try something new that takes your mind off how disappointing 2020 has been so far. And the best part? You can learn something new from home.
What is the Festival of Learning?
For the month of September, the organisation is promoting the benefits of learning by encouraging people across the country to ‘have a go’ at something new.
Red Letter Days, an online gifting company, asked me to take one of the courses available through their website to celebrate the Festival of Learning. I received the course as payment in kind for sharing my thoughts here.
I wasn’t 100% convinced I had time to take anything on – those of us who are self-employed have perhaps felt the impact of ‘rona the hardest – but I decided to go for it. After all, September will come and go whether we make the most of the month or not. I might as well come out of it with a new string in my bow!
Why I decided to do a CBT Diploma Course online
I decided to try something completely different to the skills I use in my career: an Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Diploma Course. The theories that shape CBT have always interested me and having underwent a course at the beginning of this year, I was keen to learn more about how CBT works.
I thoroughly enjoyed the course and loved that I could pick it up whenever I had a bit of spare time. It had been a long time since I took time out of my day to pursue an interest that wasn’t at all work related, and I found that I really enjoyed the whole process!
The course was easy to follow and each module begins with an overview of what you’ll learn, plus how long the module is likely to take. This is also communicated in a short video. I prefer written content to video as my brain processes it better, so the course content was ideal for me.
There’s a quick recap test at the end of each section which helps you stay engaged and measures how much you’ve truly learned. The tests are multiple choice, so they’re pretty easy!
While the course doesn’t qualify you as a therapist, it does offer a comprehensive overview of how CBT works and I think it would be a great first step in a career change. I’ve considered retraining as a therapist many times and while it isn’t something that will happen any time soon, it is something I’d like to explore in future.
The course I took was helpful because it helped me evaluate whether this would be a viable career path for me later in life. If you’re considering a job switch in the future, taking an online course is a simple way to dip your toe into the water of a different industry!
Celebrate the Festival of Learning with a course or class
Would you like to try your hand at something new this month? Here are a few learning experiences you can challenge yourself with during the Festival of Learning on Red Letter Days.
The below links are affiliates. All locations are in the UK or online.
Online wine appreciation course
Are you going to participate in the Festival of Learning this month? I’m not usually one for stuff like this but after a slow year, it felt like a fun way to give my brain something new to conquer.
The courses via Red Letter Days are really well priced. I’m strongly considering the wine appreciation course! I reckon I know how to appreciate a good bottle or two, but perhaps not in the way this course intends….
Click here to join my UK Travel Deals group on Facebook. We share lots of great ways to save money on UK trips and fun ideas for days out and places to visit in the UK.
To keep up to date with my blog posts, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest or sign up to emails so you don’t miss any new posts. I also have a Youtube channel.
Chloe says
This is such a motivating post!!
The course in CBT sounds like a good one, I’ve always been interested in psychology.
This month I want to learn more about digital marketing, specifically on Facebook and LinkedIn. I’ve got written down in my planner to start that this weekened!
Chloe X