City’s short course provides practical techniques to enable you to become the best version of yourself at home and at work. This evidence-based course combines the best ideas from Stoicism, contemporary cognitive therapy and up-to-date psychology.
No starting dates
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Starting date to be confirmed
- Duration: 10 weeks (unconfirmed)
- Fees: £460 (unconfirmed)
- Location: Online (unconfirmed)
Stoicism: becoming the best version of you Course overview
City’s Stoicism: becoming the best version of you course teaches you practical and evidence-led techniques to reach your full potential. You will learn many skills to foster both your professional and personal development.
These include:
- Identifying key strengths and virtues and how to develop them
- How to identify and work towards a meaningful direction in life
- How to deal with adversities well and retain Stoic Serenity
- How to develop Stoic mindfulness and other helpful daily habits and routines
- How to develop key qualities such as compassion, wisdom, self-control, courage and self-compassion.
This short course blends key elements of Stoicism, Positive Psychology, mindfulness and CBT.
Required reading is set between classes. Weekly classes encourage discussion of these ideas and practical exercises are given to aid self-development. You also have the option of giving a short presentation in class.
We recommend you also consider Positive Psychology – happiness and flourishing - which complements this course and starts in January. The two courses can be taken in either order and no prior knowledge is required.
This course is intended to be practical as well as theoretical and requires a high degree of self-reflection.
Who is it for?
This course is centered around personal development and so we have a wide range of individuals enrolling on the course. If you have curiosity in theories based in philosophy, psychology and wellbeing and have a willingness to be self-reflective you will enjoy this course.
Find out more about our Psychology courses
Timetable
This course takes place every Thursday at 18.30 for 10 weeks.
Benefits
From the comfort of your own home or working space, this 10-week course teaches you practical skill to take positive steps towards self-improvement and fulfilment at home and in work.
What will I learn?
The 10-week course will cover:
Week one: introduction: Stoicism & the dichotomy of control
- Introduce the main themes of the course
- What is Stoicism?
- Setting personal course goals
- Course overview
- Introducing the dichotomy of control.
Week two: Happiness and the virtues
- Virtues and character strengths
- Identifying & developing your virtues and strengths
- Why virtues are important and beneficial.
Week three: Stoic Serenity
- How you think affects how you feel
- Stoic Mindfulness
- The STOIC framework and the Stoic ABCD.
Week four: Finding the right direction
- Defining your life goals
- Stoic ways to make your goals for attainable and wiser
- Working step by step towards your goals.
Week five: Self-control & willpower
- Why self-control is important.
- Stoic ideas about how to gain more self-control
- Evidence-based ways to increase self-control.
Week six: Courage
- Why courage is important.
- Stoic ideas about how to be more courageous.
- Evidence-based techniques to increase courage.
Week seven: Justice
- What is justice – for us, it includes kindness, benevolence and self-compassion
- Hierocles’ Circles of Concern
- Ways to develop compassion, self-compassion, forgiveness and benevolence.
Week eight: Wisdom
- Wisdom as the foundation of all the virtues
- How to become wiser
- Wise decision-making.
Week nine: Coping with Adversity
- The premeditation of adversity
- Gratitude and forgiveness
- The obstacle is the way.
Week ten: Conclusions & The Next Level
- Opportunity to re-take the inventories to learn how much change has occurred
- Key course themes will be summarised and next steps discussed
- How to develop habits to maintain what has been learnt on the course .
Note: This is indicative of likely content and is subject to change
Assessment and certificates
You will be set weekly reading assignments, which will be drawn upon and discussed in class.
While there is no official assessment, you will gain most from the course through commitment to reading homework and participation in class.
The short courses at City are not accredited, but you will be awarded an official City, University of London certificate if you attend at least 70% of the classes.
Eligibility
We don't ask for any formal qualifications to enrol on our Stoicism short course but you will need a good level of written and spoken English to benefit from it.
English requirements
You will need a good level of spoken and written English to enrol on this course.
Recommended reading
Please obtain the course reader 365 Ways to be more Stoic by Tim LeBon before the start of the course. Other reading is optional and will be suggested during the class.